relating to the sidereal part of the Heavens. 265 
axes, like that which the sun and the planets are known to 
have.* 
10. Of the aggregation of Stars. 
That stars are not spread in equal portions over the celes- 
tial regions is evident to the eye of every one who directs his 
view to them in a clear night ; but if this wanted any proof, 
the star-gages I have given in the Phil. Trans, for 1785, 
would abundantly shew that the greatest variety in their dis- 
tribution takes place ; for while in my sweeps many fields of 
view of the telescope were without a single star, others con- 
tained every assignable number, from one to more than six 
hundred. 
In my examination of the heavens, I remarked that in many 
places there were patches of stars of such a particular appear- 
ance that I was induced to call them forming clusters. This 
expression was however only used to denote that some pecu- 
liar arrangement of stars in lines making different angles, 
directed to a certain aggregation of a few central stars, sug- 
gested the idea that they might be in a state of progressive 
approach to them. This tendency to clustering seemed 
chiefly to be visible in places that were extremely rich in stars. 
In order therefore to investigate the existence of a clustering 
power, we may expect its effects to be most visible in and near 
the milky way, and it is for this purpose I have distinguished 
the relative situation of the clusters to which I refer.-f* 
* See Remarks on the rotatory motion of stars on their axes, Phil. Trans, for 1796, 
page 456. 
f See twenty clusters of stars; fifteen in the milky way VII, 40. 45. VIII, 16. 18. 
35. 36. 42. 47. 50. 56. 60. 61. 64. 67. Connoiss. 6; and five near it VIII, 8. 40. 
41. 44. 83. 
MDCCCXIV. 
M m 
