204 Views on Prenebular Conditions. — A. Winchell. 
showing would have been adverse to the theory of a meteorics 
constitution of that part of the Orion nebula investigated. But 
the spectrum studied chiefly was a bright line spectrum, and 
of course revealed only gaseous conditions of matter. Such 
gases may have been merely an atmosphere bathing other por- 
tions of matter in liquid and solid states. This being so, the 
facts stated are quite compatible with either the meteoric or 
the impact theory of prenebular states. Moreover, Dr. Hug- 
gins himself supplies statements which indicate the existence 
of matter in other than the gaseous condition. He speaks of 
a "continuous spectrum," which, however, he attributes to the 
two of the four bright stars of the Trapezium which fell upon 
the slit. But he detects evidence that the stars belong to the 
nebula^ in the fact that the bright nebular lines crossing the 
steller spectrum can be traced for some little distance into the 
nebula, showing that those stars are not merely optically con- 
nected with the nebula, but are physically bound up with it, 
and are very probably condensed out of the gaseous matter of 
the nebula. It may be mentioned that other nebulae affording 
the bright lines of gaseity, exhibit stronger continuous spectra, 
while in the nebula of Andromeda, the continuous spectrum 
supersedes that of bright lines. 
This is all intelligible without ignoring the probability of 
pre-gaseous conditions, and still more without denying non- 
gaseous matter of pre-gaseous origin, coexistent with a con- 
spicuous amount of gaseous matter. If the meteoric theory 
implies the aggregation of cold stones and sand, it implies 
equally the evolution of intense heat and resulting gases. So 
a nebula resulting from impact of single masses would consist 
similarly of solid and liquid fragments immersed in a gaseous 
atmosphere of high temperature. If under either theory, the 
temperature should reduce to a gaseous state, the entire mat- 
ter of the nebula, that would furnish no reason for assuming 
that the nebula had been gaseous from the beginning of its 
existence. 
To the writer, the present state of knowledge seems to jus- 
tify the opinion that some nebulas exist in a condition entirely 
gaseous, and others in a mixed state, while a few seem to have 
attained throughout, the condition of fire-mist — borne up 
probably, by a faintly luminous residual gas. It seems further, 
to justify the theory that all nebula? have had a prenebular his- 
