LOED OXMANTOWN ON THE GEEAT NEBULA IN OEION. 
69 
With regard to the nebula round 108, the amount of detail in Herschel’s drawing of 
1837 is so much greater than in that of 1824, and the detail in the accompanying 
drawing is so much greater than in Herschel’s of 1837, that it seems hardly possible to 
arrive at any conclusion by comparing them. 
Resolvability. 
On this subject Herschel remarks in his paper of 1825 that the illumination of the 
Huygenian region is “ extremely unequal and irregular,” and compares it to “ a curdling 
liquid, or a surface strewed over with flocks of wool, or to the breaking up of a mackerel 
sky when the clouds of which it consists begin to assume a cirrous appearance ; not very 
unlike the mottling of the sun’s disk, only the grain is much coarser and the intervals 
darker, and the flocculi instead of being generally round are drawn out into little wisps. 
They present, however, no appearance of being composed of small stars, and their aspect 
is altogether different from that of resolvable nebula.” This describes very well the 
appearance on any very moderately good night, but at this time Herschel does not 
appear to have seen clearly the coarser mottling or breaking up into nebulous masses 
which have since been seen and drawn. This curdled appearance he does not find 
described in any previous account. 
The next mention of this subject appears to be by Mr. Bond, who, after quoting part 
of Herschel’s remarks given above, says, “ To me it appears composed of several clusters 
of stars, the components being separately seen for a moment under favourable circum 
stances, more particularly north of 75*, and likewise in the vicinity of 8 and 91 ; but 
where the nebula assumes a cirrous character, as in the Messierian branch, I can see 
nothing of the kind.” 
The next mention of the subject is by Mr. Lassell, who says that with a power of 
1018 the whole nebula “seemed like large masses of cotton wool packed one behind 
the other, the edges pulled out so as to be very filmy ; ” also “ the brightness of the 
minute points about the trapezium is strikingly greater than at Starfield, yet I could not 
mark the places of more than three or four new stars.” “ With a power of 1018 there 
is no appearance of resolvability.” “ With a power of 1018 the wool-like masses appear 
as I have previously described them, and there is no disposition whatever in them to 
turn into stars,” &c. 
We now come to our own observations made with the 3-feet and 6-feet telescopes, and 
find the following remarks : — 
February 17th, 1849. — “Saw a multitude of stars in the bright part about the trape- 
zium, but when they came to be drawn, only got in 9 certain and 6 uncertain, the state 
of the air having become worse.” 
January 22nd, 1851. — “At times the 5th and 6th stars of the trapezium seen, also 
red stars south following the trapezium,” &c. 
Mr. Hunter on many occasions saw small stars in the brighter parts ; the following- 
are nearly all his remarks on this subject: — 
* N.B. In all cases where not otherwise specified the numbers are those of Herschel’ s list. 
