relating to the sidereal part oj the Heavens. 283 
One hundred and fifty-seven instances have been given of 
clusters situated within the extent of the milky way, and 
their places are referred to in nine preceding articles. They 
may also be found in Bode's Atlas Coelestis, whose delinea- 
tion of this bright zone I have taken for a standard. To these 
must be added 68 more, which are in the less rich parts, or 
what may be called the vanishing borders of the milky way : 
for this immense stratum of stars does not break olf abruptly, 
as generally represented in maps, but gradually becomes in- 
visible to the eye when the stars are no longer sufficiently 
numerous to cause the impression of milkiness. 
Now, since the stars of the milky way are permanently ex- 
posed to the action of a power whereby they are irresistibly 
drawn into groups, we may be certain that from mere clus- 
tering stars they will be gradually compressed through suc- 
cessive stages of accumulation, more or less resembling the 
state of some of the 265 objects by which, in the tenth and 
six succeeding articles, the operation of the clustering power 
has been laid open to our view, till they come up to what may 
be called the ripening period of the globular form, and total 
insulation ; from which it is evident that the milky way must 
be finally broken up, and cease to be a stratum of scattered 
stars. 
We may also draw a very important additional conclusion 
from the gradual dissolution of the milky way ; for the state 
into which the incessant action of the clustering power has 
brought it at present, is a kind of chronometer that may be 
used to measure the time of its past and future existence; and 
although we do not know the rate of going of this mysterious 
