Part ii

., p. 479, fig. 25): "We have here a brother system, bearing a real

physical resemblance and strong analogy of structure to our own."

An imperfectly seen nebulous spot, discovered by Messier in 1774, appeared to present a remarkable similarity to the form of our starry stratum and the divided ring of our Milky Way.*

[footnote] *Sir William Herschel, in the 'Phil. Trans.' for 1785,