Ragnarok : the age of fire and gravel

70 THE COMET,

Stones, and sand, the finely comminnted particles of stones ground off by ceaseless attrition.

What is the proof of this ?

Simply this: that it is now conceded that meteoric showers are shreds and patches of cometic matter, dropped from the tail; and meteoric showers are stones.

“Schiaparelli considers meteors to be dispersed portions of the comet’s original substance ; that is, of the substance with which the comet entered the solar domain. Thus comets would come to be regarded as consisting of a multitude of relatively minute masses.” *

Now, what is the genesis of a comet? How did it come to be? How was it born?

In the first place, there are many things which would connect them with our planets.

They belong to the solar system ; they revolve around the sun.

Says Amédée Guillemin :

“Comets form a part of our solar system. Like the planets, they revolve about the sun, traversing with yery variable velocities extremely elongated orbits.” ¢

We shall see reason to believe that they contain the same kinds of substances of which the planets are composed. Their orbits seem to be reminiscences of former planetary conditions :

* All the comets, having a period not exceeding seven years, travel in the same direction around the sun as the planets. Among comets with periods less than eighty years long, five sixths travel in the same direction as the planets.”

* “ American Cyclopedia,” vol. v, p. 141. + “The Heavens,” p. 239. ¢ “ American Cyclopedia,” vol. v, p. 141,