1888.] of the various Species of Heavenly Bodies. 



65 



effect of the bright carbon at 517. The third band at 485 probably 

 forms a portion of band 9. A fonrth band, at 533, and the three 

 brightest flutings at 602, 635, and 648 are also seen in a, Orionis. 



Chromium. — The fhitings of chromhirn do not form portions of 

 the ten principal bands of Duner, but the brightest are seen in 

 a. Orionis. The brightest fluting is at 580, and this forms band 1 ; the 

 second, at 557, is masked by the manganese fluting at 558, and the 

 third at 536 is seen as line 2. The chromium triplet about 520, which 

 is visible in the bunsen, is seen as line 3. 



Bismuth. — The brightest fluting of bismuth is at 620, the second is 

 at 571, the third at 602, and the fourth is at 646. The first is masked 

 by the iron fluting at 615, the second is seen in a Orionis as band 2 

 (570—577). 



The points I consider as most firmly established are the masking 

 effects of the bright carbon flutings and the possibility of the demon- 

 stration of the existence of some of the flutings in the spectrum by 

 this means, if there were no other. There are two chief cases, the 

 masking of the " nebula " fluting 500 by the bright carbon fluting with 

 its brightest less refrangible edge at 517, and that of the strongest 

 fluting of Mn — Mn (1) 558, by the other carbon fluting with its 

 brightest edge at 564. I have little doubt that in some quarters my 

 anxiety not to be content to refer to the second fluting of Mn without 

 being able to explain the absence of the first one, will be considered 

 thrown away, as it is so easy to ascribe any non-understood and therefore 

 "abnormal " spectrum to unknown physical laws; but when a special 

 research had shown me that at all temperatures at which the flutings 

 of manganese are seen at all, the one at 558 retained its supremacy, 

 I felt myself quite justified in ascribing its absence in species 1 — 4 to 

 the cause I have assigned, the more especially as the Mg flating which 

 is visible even in the nebula followed suit. 



The Characteristics of the Various Species. 



I append the following remarks and references to the number of 

 the bodies in Duner's catalogue, in which the specific differences 

 come out most strongly, to the tabular statement. I also refer to 

 some difficulties. 



Sp. 1. The characteristic here is the almost cometary condition. 

 All three bright carbon Butings generally seen in comets are visible ; 

 474 standing out beyond the end of the dull blue continuous spectrum 

 of the meteorites, 516 masking Mg 500, and 564 masking Mn(]) 558. 

 The bands visible in the spectra of bodies belonging to this species 

 will therefore be Mn(2) 586, and Mg(2) 521 ; band 9 will be so wide 

 and pale that it would most likely escape detection. It is very 

 doubtful whether any of the bodies the spectra of which have 

 hitherto been recorded can be classed in this species, but laboratory 



VOL- XLIV. F 



