212 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVI. No. 659 



spectra, the complete story of the evolu- 

 tion of suns from the inchoate nebula on- 

 wards to the most active sun (like our 

 own), and then downward to the almost 

 heatless and invisible ball. The period 

 during which human life has existed on 

 our globe is probably too short— even if 

 our first parents had begun the work— to 

 afford observational proof of such a cycle 

 of change in any particular star; but the 

 fact of such evolution, with the evidence 

 before us, can hardly be doubted. I most 

 fully believe that, when the modifications 

 of terrestrial spectra under sufficiently 

 varied conditions of temperature, pressure,, 

 and environment have been further 

 studied, this conclusion will be greatly 

 strengthened. But in this study we must 

 have regard also to the spectra of the stars 

 themselves. The stars are the crucibles of 

 the Creator. There we see matter under 

 conditions of temperature and pressure 

 and environment, the variety of which we 

 can not hope to emulate in our laboratories, 

 and on a scale of magnitude beside which 

 the proportion of our greatest experiment 

 is less than that of the drop to the ocean. 

 The spectroscopic astronomer has to thank 

 the physicist and the chemist for the 

 foundation of his science, but the time is 

 coming— we almost see it now — when the 

 astronomer will repay the debt by wide- 

 reaching contributions to the very funda- 

 menta of chemical science. 



By patient, long-continued labor in the 

 minute .sifting of numerical results, the 

 grand discovery has been made that a great 

 part of space, so far as we have visible 

 knowledge of it, is occupied by two 

 majestic streams of stars traveling in op- 

 posite directions. Accurate and minute 

 measurement has given us some certain 

 knowledge as to the distances of the stars 

 within a certain limited portion of space, 

 and in the cryptograms of their spectra has 



been deciphered the amazing truth that the 

 stars of both streams are alike in design, 

 alike in chemical constitution, and alike in 

 process of development. 



But whence have come the two vast 

 streams of matter out of which have been 

 evolved these stars that now move through 

 space in such majestic procession? 



The hundreds of millions of stars that 

 comprise these streams, are they the sole 

 ponderable occupants of space? However 

 vast may be the system to which they 

 belong, that system itself is but a speck in 

 illimitable space ; may it not be but one of 

 millions of such systems that pervade the 

 infinite 1 



We do not know. 



"Canst thou by searching find out God? 

 canst thou find out the Almighty unto 

 perfection?" 



David Gill 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS 

 A Text-hooh of Electro-Chemistry. By Max 

 Le Blanc, Professor in the University of 

 Leipzig. Translated from the Fourth Ger- 

 man Edition by W. E. Whitney, Ph.D., 

 Director of the Research Laboratory , of the 

 General Electric Company, and John W. 

 Brown, Director of the Research and Bat- 

 tery Laboratory of the National Carbon 

 Company. 8vo, pp. siv + 338. Price, 

 $2.60 net. New York: The Macmillan 

 Company. 



That two busy men, immersed to their eyes 

 in solving the commercial problems of two 

 great industrial corporations, should have the 

 courage of their convictions to the extent 

 of themselves translating this splendid text- 

 book, is a most hopeful sign of the times, 

 whichever way it is regarded. What more 

 could be wished, than that a text-book should 

 originate within the classic precincts of a 

 university, and be translated and sponsored 

 by the heads of two commercial laboratories? 

 And the book is worthy of its origin. 



The earlier editions of Le Blanc's book are 



