igii.] 



OF ELECTRICITY THROUGH FLAMES. 



401 



although only one discharge could be distinguished by the sound. 

 The fainter discharge came from the red-hot ball, and crossed the 

 track of the brighter spark, which came from a hook serving for 

 suspension of the ball on a grounded wire. The track of the fainter 

 spark is as sharply defined within the flame as that of the brighter 

 one. In Figs. 3 and 4 the discharge was in the positive line. The 

 hot ball was grounded. 



Fig. 3. 



It is evident from these results that the conduction of the gases 

 within the flame of the lamp is very much less than is shown in the 

 positive column near the anode terminal in Fig. i. In that figure, 

 the air within the disruptive channel is highly rarefied. This channel 

 is a hole bored through the air. The discharge through this channel 

 issued from the end and continued as " sheet lightning " across the 

 drainage area surrounding the grounded anode. This drainage area 



PROC. AMER. PHIL. SOC, L. 200 Z, PRINTED AUG. 5, I9II. 



