with reference to us.  They both give a continuous spectrum.  The one in Bridanus is described as “an eleventh magnitude star, standing in the centre of a circular nebula, itself placed centrally on a larger and fainter circle of hazy light.” [Footnote:  Lassell, quoted in Webb’s “Celestial Objects,” p. 227.] The nebula in Andromeda assumes a lenticular form; that in Bridanus would probably present the same appearance if we saw it edge-ways.  The former has probably increased in brilliancy in the course of centuries.  Mr. Webb remarks of it, “It is so plain to the naked eye that it is strange the ancients scarcely mention it.” [Footnote:  Webb’s “Celestial Objects,” p. 180.] In these two nebulas we may perhaps see the mass ready to break up into separate worlds, the lenticular form being a natural result of extremely rapid rotation.  Prom the fact that Andromeda 116 gives a continuous spectrum, Dr. Huggins inclines to the belief that it is an unresolved star cluster.  But the reasons which led Sir W. Herschel to conclude that the nebula in Orion was gaseous, (a conclusion which, though for a time discredited by the supposed resolution of the nebula in Lord Kosse’s telescope, was ultimately found to be correct), are equally applicable here.  In general a certain proportion exists between the telescopic power requisite to render a star cluster visible as a nebulous spot, and that which will resolve it into stars; but this nebula, like that in Orion, though visible to the naked eye, cannot be resolved by the most powerful instruments yet made.  And the nebula in Draco 4373, seems to present an intermediate stage between the purely gaseous nebula and this one.  The faint continuous spectrum is probably the result of incipient central condensation.  This nebula, if recent observations by Mr. Gill, of Aberdeen, are confirmed [Footnote:  Popular Science Review, 1871, p. 426.], is much nearer to us than any of the fixed stars.

“We come now to the reasons derived from the Solar System itself, and of these there are several, some of them of considerable weight.  The first is to be found in the uniform direction of almost all the motions of the system.  They are from west to east.  The sun rotates upon his axis, the planets revolve about the sun and rotate upon their axes, and the satellites, with one exception, revolve about their primaries, and, so far as is known, rotate upon their axes in the same direction, from west to east, and the motions take place very nearly in the same plane—­the ecliptic.  This seems to point to the conclusion that these motions have a common origin, as would be the case if all these bodies at one time existed as a single mass which revolved in the same direction.  The one exception is to be found in the satellites of Uranus, whose motion is retrograde.  But there are certain phenomena, which lead to the conclusion, that, on the outskirts of our system, there has at some time or other been an action of a disturbing force, of which, except from these results, we know nothing.”