Dr. Faraday on the Magnetic Affection of Light. 255 



peroxide or the magnetic solutions, it will not remain parallel 

 to the face of the pole, or oblique and not touching it ; for one 

 end will always go up to the face of the pole ; or if it be very 

 short, and then by loading, or otherwise be prevented from 

 coming in contact with the pole, one end will point towards 

 the part of the pole face nearest to it. In this respect it is as 

 the magnetic solution, and not as the peroxide : however 

 weak the magnetic pole may be, if it have power to affect the 

 iron wire at all, it will produce the same effect. Further, if 

 the iron wire be rendered perfectly free from magnetism, by 

 making it red-hot, either end may be made that which is near- 

 est to the face of the pole. 



A piece of haematite, separated, not by an iron tool but by 

 an agate, or otherwise in a careful manner, pointed in the 

 manner of iron, though of course not with the same power, 

 i. e. it did not take up a stable position either parallel to the 

 face of the magnet or inclined, but not touching it; for one 

 end or the other always went up to and remained in contact 

 with the metal of the pole. The hasmatite, being powdered and 

 put into a small tube, acted in the same way as when whole. 



A piece of bottle-glass tube, which was magnetic from the 

 iron it contained, acted as the haematite, either when whole or 

 powdered up and put into a flint-glass tube : it therefore was 

 unlike the peroxide of iron. 



Pure peroxide of manganese appeared to take aplace 

 between these bodies and the peroxide of iron. Generally 

 speaking, the end nearest to the flat face of the pole went up 

 to it and remained there ; but when one end was opposite the 

 edge of the face and the other end nearly opposite the middle, 

 at the time the magnet was made active, the latter end, though 

 nearer than the former, would recede, and the former end come 

 up and remain in contact. If the latter end was still nearer, 

 it would approach from the first; and, there was no place 

 of stable equilibrium for the tube in which it remained pa- 

 rallel to the face, or nearly so, and neither end touching it. 



A piece of thick platinum wire acted as the hasmatite or 

 green glass, and not as the peroxide, in Becquerel's experi- 

 ment. Spongy platina pressed into a tube acted as the per- 

 oxide of manganese, giving like it in certain situations, the 

 beginnings of an action like that of the peroxide of iron. 



The centre of gravity of all these bodies was attracted by 

 the magnet, whatever part of the face they were placed in jux- 

 taposition with. In no case was anything like a repulsion 

 shown. 



Now I do not see how any difficulty can arise in referring 

 all these results of position to the ordinary action of magnets 



