14 OCTOBER 1871, Page 23

The St. Pauls for this month is of loss than

average interest, the best paper by far being Mr. Procter's on the curious spectroscopic discovery that the atmosphere of the planet Uranus is chiefly composed of hydrogen, —so that if there were any oxygen mingled with It, the least electric spark, by uniting hydrogen and oxygen in the form of water, would cause convulsions and changes of the most tremendous kind. Ho argues rather hastily that the planet is probably without life of any kind upon it. Surely without life of our kind, but why may there not bo life which needs no oxygen ?