Nevertheless, there is a close resemblance between the hazy-looking objects known as nebulæ and comets when they emerge from obscurity. For this reason, they gave a great deal of trouble to Messier, a French astronomer of the eighteenth century. So keen was he on capturing comets that Louis XV nicknamed him “the Ferret of Comets.” Consequently, we can imagine his annoyance, after discovering a supposed comet, at finding it was merely a cloudy-looking object which he termed a nebula. He kept a careful record of these “embarrassing objects,” so that he might not be led astray by them again, and labeled them Messier 1, Messier 2, and Messier 3, in the order of discovery, and these are usually briefly recorded on star maps as M1, M2, M3, etc. In this way, Messier made a list of forty-five nebulæ, which he entered in a catalogue published at Paris in 1771. A century later (1871) the list had been enlarged by one hundred and three discoveries. For the listing of these “embarrassing objects,” as Messier termed them, we are greatly indebted, since in recent years photography has revealed the fact that they are among the most marvelous objects in the heavens. With the assistance of a small two-foot telescope of two and a half inches aperture, magnifying five times, and with a field of view covering four or five degrees, Messier discovered thirteen comets. His first comet dates from 1760, and another French astronomer named Pons, who discovered a comet in 1802, joined him in the pioneer work of making a systematic search for comets. It is interesting to note that Pons was a doorkeeper at the Observatory at Marseilles, and, owing to the teaching and encouragement he received from Thulis, the director, he achieved phenomenal success as a comet-hunter. A third name must be added to the list of these enterprising searchers after cometary prey, _viz._, that of Montaigne, between whom and Messier existed a keen rivalry. The following story shows the importance attached by the latter to each comet captured. It seems that on one occasion Messier, who had discovered twelve comets, was looking for his thirteenth, when his wife was taken seriously ill and died. While attending to her he was hindered in his search for the comet which was found by his rival, Montaigne. When some one sympathized with him about the loss he had sustained he said, “Alas! Montaigne has robbed me of my thirteenth comet!” Then realizing that he should be mourning the loss of his wife, he added the remark, “Ah! poor woman!” but he continued grieving for his lost comet.