862 = T. S&. Hunt—Chemical Relations of the Atmosphere. 
elements.* Mr. Lockyer has since extended this inquiry by 
his ingenious and beautiful spectroscopic studies, the results of 
which are embodied in his “‘ Discussion of the Working Hy- 
pothesis that the so-called Elements are Compound Bodies,” 
communicated to the Royal Society, Dec. 12, 1878.¢ In his 
first note, of 1878 (which is embodied in the later paper) he 
suggested that we see in the stars evidences of a celestial disso- 
ciation under the influence of intense ‘heat, which, Se 
the work of our furnaces, would break up the metalloids, an 
leave only the metallic elements of low equivalent weight 
which are found in the hottest stars. In his later memoir he 
put forth an argument in favor of the existence of suca a 
oe matter or Urstoff from a consideration of the wave 
engths in the spectra of the various elements.** 
* Comptes Rendus, Nov. 3, 1873. 15 
+ This Journal, ITI, xvii, 93-116; and farther, Clarke, Science News, Feb. 
1879, page 114. 
Reprinted from Proc. Royal Institution in Chem. and Geol. Essays, P- 31. ‘s 
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31, 1874; Amer. Chemist, vol. v, pp. 46-51, and Pop. Science Monthly, vu, 420. 
| This Journal, I, xlii, 350-368. { This Journal, ITI, i, 319. call 
Since these pages were in type my attention has been called to a paper 
before the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec in January, 1870, by Jamee 
