Comets.

36. Meteoric swarms when near the sun would be distorted, and the constituent fragments would impact with extraordinary frequency. They would therefore become very brilliant, and show as comets. The friction would produce an enormous developement of heat and electricity.

37. It is certain that the material of a tail of a comet does not belong to the comet itself. It is the dust of space lit up in some way like motes in air illuminated by a search-light. The phe-nomenon of the tail is almost certainly electrical. In a paper "On a New Relation between Heat and Electricity," I have discussed agencies that may explain the phenomenon.

38. Such a swarm, when close to the sun, would have its near part drawn in advance of, and its distant part left in the rear of, the general swarm. Its weak attractive power would often cause it to separate into a train.

The above are some of the phenomena that may ensue in the coalesced mass.