182 Transactiovs. — Miscellaneous. 



this papei', attempt to demonstrate that, mth the known distribution of 

 motions of the stars, collisions are mevitable, and that nearly all these 

 must be partial. Secondly, I shall show that there are a large number of 

 influences which will tend to modify and to give variety to the phenomena 

 of partial impact. But that, nevertheless, there are several well-marked 

 peculiarities associated with all such cases of collision which render them 

 perfectly characteristic. Lastly, I shall refer to some of the variety of 

 cosmical phenomena which these peculiarities may give rise to. 



For some time an idea was common that the whole of the visible Uni- 

 verse was a stable system, and that all the stars in the heavens, including 

 our own, were rotating around a certain definite place in the heavens. 

 This opinion was shared in by nearly all who took part in the discussion on 

 my first paper. Doubtless there is considerable community of motion in 

 some parts of the heavens, and it is not improbable, looking at Proctor's 

 stellar motion chart, that, taking the whole galaxy, there may be a ten- 

 dency to motion, more in one du-ection in the galactic ring than in the 

 opposite ; yet it is certain that the stars of the galaxy are far n.*om being a 

 really stable system in which all the motions are exactly recurrent in defi- 

 nite periods. I will give the opinions of a few astronomers on this point. 



Newcombe says : — " We may first assert, with a high degree of proba- 

 bility, that the stars do not form a stable system." * * * " But the most 

 conclusive proof that the stars do not revolve around definite attracting 

 centres is found in the variety and n-regularity of their proper motion." 

 * * * "The motion of each individual star is generally so entirely dif- 

 ferent from that of its fellows as seemingly to preclude all reasonable 

 probability that these bodies are revolving in definite orbits around great 

 centres of attraction." * * * " And thus it (each star) may keep up a 

 continuous dance, under the influence of ever-varying forces, as long as the 

 Universe shall exist under its present form." Agam, Herschel says of 

 Madler's suggestion, that the stars revolve around the Pleiades : — " That 

 the situation is in itself utterly improbable, lying as it does no less than 26 

 degrees out of the plane of the galactic circle, out of which plane it is almost 

 inconceivable that any general circulation can take place." 



Proctor unfavourably reviews this hypothesis in several of his works. 

 In one place, after a full discussion, he says: — "These and other con- 

 siderations have led all the most eminent of our modern astronomers to 

 look upon Madler's hypothesis as one which in the j)resent state of our 

 knowledge we have no right to look upon with favour." 



Newcombe says of Madler's hypothesis : — " But not the slightest weight 

 has ever been given to it by astronomers, who have always seen it to be an 

 entirely baseless speculation." 



