What is the <!> Element in the IE Developer Toolbar

Question

In noticed the element <! > in IE6 and 7 (not tested 8) the developer toolbar. This is an element created to hold a background image for one of my actual elements (the actual element is now a child of the <!> Element According to IE)

Does anyone know what the <! > and why IE creates it to store the background image (I have another almost identical element next to the element, which is now a child element of <!>, and that one is not required / gets the element <!> for the background image)

Actual markup (simplified)

<div id='d1'>I have a background image</div>
<div id='d2'>So do I</div>

Markup as a render of IE6 and 7

<!> <!-- now contains the background image for d1'-->
  div id='d1'>I no longer have a background image</div>
</!> <!-- or whatever the closing tag for <!> is -->
<div id='d2'>SI still have mine</div>

:
. . (, , #leftBar, , , javascript)

CSS, , <! >

position:absolute;
left:0px; 
z-index:15;

width:15em; /* on update change: #contentWrapper:padding-left, #rondleiding:left */
height:100%;

overflow:visible;
background: url("http://somewhere/img.png") repeat #a99c89;

javascript , #leftBar.

W3C- ( rels).

, - ( ). (, )

Answer 1

​​ie7/ie8.js script. , ... , - . ? - , , . " ---".

, , , , JQuery ( Google , MIME), ( OK):

<![if gte IE 8]>
    ...
<![endif]>

, MSDN - , , :

<!--[if gte IE 8]><!-->
    ...
<!--<![endif]-->

Answer 2

, ( ) ? , IE Dev Toolbar , " .