424* Dr. Faraday's Experimental Researches in Electricity. 



second, which was during the fiercest hail-storm of that day, 

 and happened between two and three in the afternoon. Du- 

 ring an early part of this storm the electric fluid made a con- 

 tinuous rattling noise down the kite-string (in consequence of 

 the wire being broken in several places), and darted from the 

 reel, at the inferior extremity, to greater distances than in 

 either of the other experiments. In one instance it struck 

 over a stick about a yard long, to the hand of a young man 

 named Croft, who was presenting it to the kite-string. Al- 

 though the remote end of the stick was in connexion with the 

 ground by means of a very wet string, and consequently a con- 

 siderable discharge must, at the same time, have passed down 

 the wet string to the earth, the shock was so violent as to 

 make Mr. Croft reel and nearly fall ; and I have some rea- 

 son to suppose that it has left an impression on his memory 

 which time will not speedily obliterate. The kite-strings, 

 however, broke very soon afterwards, and consequently the 

 experiments, on that occasion, terminated very abruptly, and 

 unfortunately at a time also when the fire was streaming from 

 the string in the greatest abundance, and with a degree of 

 splendour better imagined than described. 



During the third time that the kite was afloat, about two 

 hours after the former, several gentlemen present experienced 

 smart electric shocks direct from the kite-string. 



Artillery Place, Woolwich, June 16, 1834. 



LX. Experimental Researches in Electricity. — Seventh Series* 

 By Michael Faraday, D.C.L. F.R.S. Fullerian Prof. 

 Chem. Royal Institution ; Corr. Memb. Royal and Imp .Acad d. 

 of Sciences, Paris, Peter sburgh, Florence, Copenhagen, Ber- 

 lin, Sfc. 



[Continued from p. 344, and concluded.] 



822. r ■''HE doctrine of definite electro-chemical action just 

 A laid down, and, I believe, established, leads to some 

 new views of the relations and classifications of bodies asso- 

 ciated with or subject to this action. Some of these I shall 

 proceed to consider. 



823. In the first place, compound bodies may be separated 

 into two great classes, namely, those which are decomposable 

 by the electric current, and those which are not. Of the 

 latter, some are conductors, others non-conductors, of voltaic 

 electricity*. The former do not depend for their decom- 



• 1 mean here by voltaic electricity, merely electricity from a most 

 abundant source, but having very small intensity. 



