NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. 119 



through it. Stratified discharges passed when the ends of the batteiy wero 

 connected with the electrodes of the receiver; and on one occasion the dis- 

 charge exhibited an extraordinary effulgence; the positive wire emitted 

 light of dazzling brightness, and finally gave evidence of fusion. On intcr- 

 terrupting the circuit, the positive wire was found to be shortened about 

 half an inch, its metal having been scattered by the discharge over the 

 interior surface of the tube. 



10. The receiver in this condition was placed before the audience, in the 

 position mentioned above. When the ends of the four-hundred-cell battery 

 were connected with the wires of the receiver, no discharge passed ; but on 

 touching momentarily with the finger any portion of the wire between the 

 positive electrode of the receiver and the positive pole of the battery, a 

 brilliant discharge instantly passed, and continued as long as the connection 

 with the battery was maintained. This experiment was several times re- 

 peated: the connection with the ends of the battery was not sufficient to 

 produce the discharge, but in all cases the touching of the positive wire 

 caused the discharge to flash through the receiver. Previous to the fusion 

 of the wire above referred to, this discharge usually exhibited fine stratifi- 

 cation : its general character now was that of a steady glow, through which, 

 however, intermittent luminous gushes took place, each of which presented 

 the stratified appearance. 



11. On exciting the magnet between whose poles the receiver was placed, 

 the steady glow curved up or down, according to the polarity of the mag- 

 net, and resolved itself into a scries of effulgent transverse bars of light. 

 These appeared to travel from the positive wire along the surface of the jar. 

 The deflected luminous current was finally extinguished by the action of the 

 magnet. 



12. When the circuit of the magnet was made and immediately inter- 

 rupted, the appearance of the discharge was extremely singular. At first 

 the strata rushed from the positive electrode along the upper surface of the 

 jar, then stopped, and appeared to return upon their former track, and pass 

 successively with a deliberate motion into the positive electrode. They were 

 perfectly detached from each other; and their successive ingulfments at 

 the positive electrode were so slow as to be capable of being counted aloud 

 with the greatest ease. This deliberate retreat of the strata towards the 

 positive pole was due, no doubt, to the gradual subsidence of the power of 

 the magnet. Artificial means might probably be devised to render the re- 

 cession of the discharge still slower. The rise of power in the magnet was 

 also beautifully indicated by the deportment of the current. After the cur- 

 rent had been once quenched, as long as the magnet remained excited no 

 discharge passed; but on breaking the magnet circuit, the luminous glow 

 reappeared. Not only, then, is there an action of the magnet upon the par- 

 ticles transported by an electric current, but the above experiment indicates 

 that there is an action of the magnet upon the electrodes themselves, which 

 actually prevents the escape of their particles. The influence of the magnet 

 upon the electrode would thus appear to be prior to the passage of the 

 current. 



13. The discharge of the battery was finally sent through a tube, whose 

 platinum wires were terminated by two small balls of carbon: a glow was 

 first produced; but on heating a portion of the tube containing a stick of 

 caustic potash, the positive ball sent out a luminous protrusion, which sub- 



