Royal Society. 233 



A frame of wood, in the form of a parallelogram with hinges at the 

 angles, represented two ribs, the spine, and the sternum. An india- 

 rubber ring was passed over a peg in the upper rib and another in the 

 lower rib, at different distances from the spine, to represent the inter- 

 costal muscle. Both ribs were elevated or depressed according as 

 the upper peg was nearer to, or further from the spine than the peg 

 in the lower rib. 



The hollow bones are filled with air, not for respiratory purposes, 

 but to remove the moisture from the interior of the bones secreted 

 by the endosteum, which would otherwise accumulate and defeat 

 one of the objects for which the bones are hollow, namely, to dimi- 

 nish their weight, — the other object being to increase their strength. 

 The author proposes to publish his views in a separate form so soon 

 as he shall have leisure to complete certain experimental investiga- 

 tions that he has devised. 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 



[Continued from p. 155.1 

 January 18, 1866. — -Lieutenant- General Sabine, President, in the 



Chair. 



The following communication was read : — 



'•On the Spectrum of Comet 1, 1866.'' By William Huggins, 

 F.R.S. 



The successful application of prismatic analysis to the light of 

 the nebulae showed the great importance of subjecting the light of 

 comets to a similar examination, especially as we possess no certain 

 knowledge of the intimate nature of those singular and enigmatical 

 bodies, or of the cosmical relations which they sustain to our system. 

 The importance of a prismatic analysis of cometary light is enhanced 

 by the consideration of the general resemblance which some of the 

 nebulse present to the nearly round vaporous masses of which some 

 comets, in some positions at least in their orbits, appear to consist, 

 — a resemblance which suggests the possible existence of a close 

 relation between nebulous and cometary matter. 



I made several unsuccessful attempts to obtain a prismatic obser- 

 vation of Comet 1, 1864. The position of the comet and the wea- 

 ther were unfavourable. M. Donati succeeded in making an exami- 

 nation of the spectrum of this comet. " It resembles," says M. 

 Donati, " the spectra of the metals ; in fact the dark portions are 

 broader than those which are more luminous, and we may say these 

 spectra are composed of three bright lines"*. 



Yesterday evening, January 9, 1866, I observed the spectrum of 

 Comet 1, 1866. The telescope and spectrum-apparatus which I 

 employed are described in my paper " On the Spectra of some of 

 the Nebulse " f- 



* Monthly Notices, Royal Astronomical Society, vol. xxv. p. 114. 

 t Phil.Trans. 1861. p. 421. 



