1 78 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



that nebulfe have been observed to vary and disaj)pear, which is clearly 

 impossible with a galaxy like our milky way. I will only give one other 

 extract from among a large number. It is from the same work (" Proctor on 

 the Universe"), which is wholly devoted to demonstrate these conclusions. 

 "The phenomena I have been discussing seem to point to conclusions very 

 different from those which have been usually accepted respecting the visible 

 universe. Instead of separating the stars and nebulae into distinct systems, 

 or rather of looking on the stellar system as a member of the system of 

 nebulas, we seem compelled to look on almost every object visible even in 

 the most powerful telescope, as a portion of one system, which comprises 

 within its range, simple, multiple, and clustering stars, irresolvable nebulae, 

 gaseous bodies of symmetrical and unsymmetrical figure, and in all pro- 

 bability myriads of other forms of matter as yet undetected." 



These are the more general conclusions as to the constitution of the 

 heavens. There is a great deal of special evidence pointing the same way ; 

 but I can only mention it here. I refer to the fact that nearly all the tempo- 

 rary and variable stars are in the milky way, the community of motion of 

 groups of stars, the tendency to stream formation, and the special character 

 of the milky way nebula. But what I have already discussed is sufficient to 

 show distinctly that our universe is one system of definite construction. It 

 undoubtedly consists of a ring or spiral of stars, star-dust and star-clusters. 

 About the centre of this ring our sun is situated, in a comparatively 

 sparsely-spread region. If we suppose a line to pass through our system, 

 at right-angles to the plane of the galaxy, it passes in each du-ectiou 

 through a region of thousands of nebulae — these nebular masses being, as 

 it were, polar caps covering approximately one-sixth the celestial sphere. 

 It is certain that such an arrangement is absolutely incompatible with a 

 chance distribution, and that consequently it offers a perfectly legitimate 

 ground for scientific induction. In offering this hypothesis I do so with 

 the more confidence as it is probable that every wide generalization tends 

 to give direction to much successful research, the results of which are of 

 great value, although some of these may convert the hypothesis into mere 

 scaffolding, to be removed when the structure is complete. I shall assume 

 the existence of large bodies without discussion, as such discussion is 

 antecedent to the especial purpose of this paper, and besides, would unduly 

 increase its length, which is too great already. I propose to discuss their 

 claim on your consideration in a future paper. I will, however, call your 

 attention to the present views of mathematical physicists, which point to 

 the final state of the universe being one gigantic body, with all the energy 

 dissipated as uniformly diffused heat. If, therefore, we may look forward 

 to such a body in the future, why not in the past ? I will not, however, 



