  In a recent Letter (astro-ph/9605001), Cowsik et al. claim that the best fit
value of the velocity dispersion of the Galactic dark matter is 600 kms. This
result is obtained by a numerical method of solving the coupled
self-gravitation equations, assuming Maxwellian velocity distributions. The
rotation curve presented in their original paper is not the whole story, as it
does not match onto the spherical self-gravitating halo with a Maxwellian
velocity distribution -- as it must. This was pointed out in the original
version of this Comment. In their Reply (astro-ph/9608035), Cowsik et al.
provide a rotation curve that does behave with the correct asymptotics.
Unfortunately, it violates mass estimates of the Local Group by over an order
of magnitude. It is the pressure required to balance the weight of the
overlying layers of this phenomenal mass at large radii that is the physical
origin of Cowsik et al's anomalously high dark matter velocity dispersion.
