2 SEPTEMBER 1905, Page 3

Professor Darwin concluded his address by observing that although we

might with some confidence trace the solar system and the stars in general back to primitive nebulae, such primitive nebulae stood in as much need of explanation as their stellar offspring. Hence, even granting the exact truth of these theories, the advance towards an explanstion of the universe remained miserably slight. We might be amazed at all that man had been able to find out, but the immeasurable magni- tude of the undiscovered would throughout all time remain to humble his pride. It is noteworthy, however, that his remarks on stellar evolution did not point to the likelihood of that astronomical discovery which might humble man's pride more than anything else,—the existence of other cosmic systems than our own.