76 Messrs. Huggins and Miller on Spectra of Fixed Stars. 
are in some way due to our own atmosphere, if these lines were 
present in the spectra of all the stars without exception. i 3 ) 
absence of the lines corresponding to hydrogen is also the more 
entitled to consideration, since it is so rare to find them wanting, _ 
amongst the considerable number of stellar spectra which we | 
have observed. 7 ) 
Sirius.—Three if not four elementary bodies have been found 
to furnish spectra in which lines coincide with those of Sirius. 
viz. sodium, magnesium, hydrogen, and probably iron. t 
The whole spectrum of Sirius is crossed by a very large num- 
ber of faint and fine lines. It is worthy of notice that in the 
case of Sirius, and a large number of the white stars, at the same 
time that the hydrogen lines are abnormally strong as compared 
pe the solar spectrum, all the metallic lines are remarkably 
aint. 
« Lyre (Vega).—This is a white star having a spectrum of the 
same class as Sirius, and as full of fine lines as the solar spectrum. 
eneral Observations.—Probably in the constitution of the stars 
as revealed by spectrum analysis, we shall find the origin of the 
differences in the color of stellar light. Since spectrum analysis 
shows that certain of the laws of terrestrial physics prevail in the 
sun and stars, there can be little doubt that the immediate source 
of solar and stellar light must be solid or liquid matter main- 
tained in an intensely incandescent state, the result of an exceed- 
ingly high temperature. For it is from such a source alone that 
we can produce light even in a feeble degree comparable with 
that of the sun. 
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will be diminished by the loss of those — which cerrespond in 
i the constituents of each 
ting. In proportion as these dark lines preponderate in particu- 
lar parts of the spectrum, so will the colors in which they occur 
be weaker, and consequently the colors of other refran eibilities 
will predominate. , 
