irs, there having been but
thirty-two of them recorded in the world's history, and of these only
two have exceeded the present one in brilliancy. As a mere spectacle,
therefore, this new star was of great interest; but a far greater
importance attaches to it through the fact that it conforms so admirably
to the course that meteoritic hypothesis would predict for it. "That is
what confounds my opponents," said Professor Lockyer, in talking to me
about the new star. "Most of those who oppose my theory have not taken
the trouble to make observations for themselves, but have contented
themselves with falling back apparently on the postulate that because
a theory is new it must be wrong. Then, outside the scientific world,
comparatively few people appreciate the extreme parsimony of nature.
They expect, therefore, that when such a phenomenon as the appearance of
a new star occurs, the new-comer will establish new rules for itself and
bring chaos into the scientific world. But in point of fact nature never
does things in two ways if she can possibly do them in one, and the
most striking thing about the new stars is that all the phenomena they
present conform so admirably to the laws built up through observation of
the old familiar stars. As to our particular theories, we here at South
Kensington"--it will be understood that this use of the editorial "we"
is merely a modest subterfuge on the part of Professor Lockyer--"have
no regard for them at all simply as ours. Like all scientists worthy the
name, we seek only the truth, and should new facts come along that seem
to antagonize our theory we should welcome them as eagerly as we welcome
all new facts of whatever bearing. But the truth is that no such new
facts have appeared in all these years, but that, on the contrary, the
meteoritic hypothesis has received ever-increasing support from most
unexpected sources, from none more brilliantly or more convincingly than
from this new star in Perseus." And I suspect that as much as this at
least--if not indeed a good deal more--will be freely admitted by every
candid investigator of Sir Norman Lockyer's theory.

SIR WILLIAM RAMSAY AND THE NEW GASES

The seat of Sir William Ramsay's labors is the University College,
London. The college building itself, which is located on Gower Street,
is, like the British Museum, reminiscent or rather frankly duplicatory
in its columned architecture of the classical. Interiorly it is like
so many