WHAT FILLS THE STAR-DEPTHS? 
271 
WHAT FILLS THE STAE-DEPTHS? 
By RICHARD A. PROCTOR, B.A., F.R.A.S. 
Author of “ Saturn and its System,” u Half-hours with the 
Stars,” and “Other Worlds than Ours.” 
F OR more than two centuries and a half astronomers have 
studied the depths of heaven with the telescope, piercing 
farther and yet farther into wondrous abysms of space, gather- 
ing clearer and yet clearer information as to the structure of 
celestial objects, and accumulating an untold wealth of know- 
ledge respecting the habitudes of the great system whereof our 
sun is a constituent orb. During all this process of research, 
the great end and aim of astronomers has been to extend the 
range of their instrumental appliances, in order to analyse 
more scrutinisingly the features of each portion of the celestial 
depths. Now and then it has occurred to some among their 
number to endeavour to combine the results which have been 
gathered together with so much pains; but these attempts 
have been almost lost sight of amidst the continual accumula- 
tion of fresh facts. The efforts made to arrange and systema- 
tise our knowledge have been altogether out of proportion with 
its extent. 
And, very strangely, when any attempts are made to educe 
from the labours of observers their proper significance, to reap 
the harvest which is already ripe, or rather to grind the corn 
which is already in our garners, the cry is raised that such 
attempt s are fit only for the theorists, that they -argue a want 
of appreciation of the labours of observers, and that we have 
more to hope from fresh observations than from any process of 
mere reasoning. Surprising, indeed, that those who say “ Let 
us use the observations already made,” should be accused of 
undervaluing observation ; and that those who can find no 
value or significance in past observations, should call so eagerly 
for fresh ones ! 
I make these remarks because I am about to exhibit certain 
