28 



THE SPECTRA OF STARS AND NEBULAE. 



about the possibility that an evolutionary process was going on in 

 the starry universe. He would like to ask whether the evidence 

 for that evolution was positive or merely negative ; that is to say, 

 had we direct evidence that this process was going on at the 

 present time, or did the ascertained facts merely show that astro- 

 nomical science revealed nothing which would render such a belief 

 untenable 1 



Colonel Alves seconded the vote of thanks to the Chairman. 



The Chairman, in acknowledging the vote of thanks, said that 

 unless we assumed an evolutionary process, we could give no 

 explanation of the order that we recognized in stellar spectra. 



The Meeting adjourned at 6.10 p.m. 



