14 



Mr. J. N. Lockyer. On the Classification [Apr. 12, 



I am aware that this conclusion is a startling one, but a little con- 

 sideration will show its high probability, and a summary of all the 

 facts proves it, I think, beyond all question. 



While we have bright lines in comets, it can be shown that some of 

 them are the remnants of flutings. Thus in Comet III of 1881, as 

 the carbon lines died away the chief manganese fluting at 558 became 

 conspicuously visible ; it had really been recorded before then. The 

 individual observations are being mapped in order that the exact facts 

 may be shown. It may probably be asked how it happened that the 

 fluting of magnesium at 500 was not also visible. Its absence, how- 

 ever, can be accounted for : it was mashed by the brightest carbon 

 fluting at 517, whereas the carbon fluting which under other circum- 

 stances might mask the manganese fluting at 558 is always among 

 the last to appear very bright and the first to disappear. 



In the great comet of 1882, which was most carefully mapped by 

 Copeland, very many lines were seen, and indeed many were recorded, 

 and it looks as if a complete study of this map will put us in posses- 

 sion of many of the lines recorded by Sherman in the spectrum of 

 7 Cassiopeiae. We have then three marked species of non-revolving 

 swarms going on all fours with three marked species of revolving 

 ones, and in this we have an additional argument for the fact that 

 the absence in the former of certain flutings which we should expect 

 to find may be attributed to masking by the carbon flutings. 



We have next, then, to show that there are carbon bands in the 

 bright-line stars. 



There is evidence of this. Among the bright lines recorded is 

 the brightest carbon fluting at 517. This is associated with those 

 lines of magnesium and manganese and iron visible at a low tempera- 

 ture which have been seen in comets. 



But we have still more evidence of the existence of carbon. In 

 a whole group of bright-line stars there is a bright band recorded 

 at about 470, while, less refrangible than it, there appears a broad 

 absorption band. I regard it as extremely probable that we have 

 here the bright carbon band 467 — 474, and that the appearance of an 

 absorption band is due to the fact that the continuous spectrum of 

 the meteorites extends only a short distance into the blue. 



If we consider such a body as Wells's comet, or the great comet of 

 1882, at so great a distance from us that only an integrated spectrum 

 would reach us, in these cases the spectrum would appear to extend 

 very far, and more or less continuously, into the blue; but this 

 appearance would be brought about, not by the continuous spectra of 

 the meteorites themselves, but by the addition of the hydrocarbon 

 fluting at 431 to the other hot and cold carbon bands in that part of 

 the spectrum. 



There are other grounds which may be brought forward to suggest 



