430 Miscellaneous Intelligence* 



As no other cause than terrestrial magnetism could be per- 

 ceived likely to produce this result, the experiment was repeated 

 with syphons of the same diameter, but having legs twelve inches 

 long. Two simultaneous experiments were made, in one of which 

 the syphon was made to coincide with the plane of the magnetic 

 meridian, as before ; in the other, the syphon was perpendicular to 

 this direction. The two were placed in the same chamber on the 

 same table, and in the same relation to light, air, &c. The silver 

 began to precipitate first in the former of these syphons ; the metal 

 rose in the north branch with greater brilliancy, in larger quantity, 

 and in larger needles than in the southern branch. The silver in 

 the latter seemed as if fused, was scarcely at all radiated in form, 

 and was mixed with much mercurial salt that collected on this side. 

 In the other syphon, there was no change in less than twelve 

 hours, after which the silver began to precipitate slowly, but equally 

 in both limbs of the instrument. Next morning the first syphon 

 had deposited all its silver ; in the other a deposition still went 

 on ; the latter was placed therefore on another table, with the south 

 pole of a magnet under one of its legs. A day after it was clearly 

 seen that the silver had passed in the direction of the magnet, and 

 rose higher in that limb than the other. These experiments, re- 

 peated many times with different sized syphons, always give the 

 same result. 



For the purpose of giving the silver more freedom of choice 

 during its precipitation, circles were drawn with tallow upon small 

 plates of glass, solution of nitrate of silver placed on the glass within 

 the circles, and a rounded piece of zinc placed in the centre of each 

 solution. The silver immediately began to precipitate in circular 

 zones, but so that the circles always extended much more towards 

 the north than in the other directions; the zinc and its oxide 

 p^Lssed towards the south. These experiments, repeated, always 

 gave the same results. 



Plates of glass, similarly charged with solution and zinc, were 

 then placed about two metres from the poles of strong artificial 

 magnets, whilst similar plates were preserved at a distance. The 

 effect was striking on the plate placed near the south pole of the 

 magnet, for the silver passed towards the pole with great rapidity, 

 and was entirely precipitated in one-fourth of the time necessary for 

 the solution on the distant plates. 



In the experiments with magnets it may be supposed that the 

 conducting power of the iron may have some effect analogous to 

 that observed by Zimmerman, when metallic precipitations took 

 place in the vicinity of conducting bodies ; but in the experiments 

 without magnets, the influence of terrestrial magnetism appears no 

 Jonger doubtful. 



M. Muschman then refers to a disposition of metals in the bowels 

 of the earth, perhaps referable to a similar cause. A vein of me- 

 tallic silver is found at Kunigsberg, in the Fall-band, which extends 

 from north to south. The presence of the silver is always indi- 



