OF FERRUGINOUS BODIES. 255 
100. When the iron had attained a bright red 
heat, approaching to whiteness, it was placed in 
its former position with respect to the system of 
magnets and the compass-needle; having one 
end resting on the magnets and the other on the 
edge of the brick. The needle was carefully 
watched ; but not a movement of it was observed 
whilst the iron was at a high red heat. As the 
iron cooled, the needle began to yield to its com- 
mencing magnetic action; at first its movement 
was very slow, but in a short time it advanced 
rapidly towards the meridian, and finally settled 
in that plane. In this experiment, as in those in 
which terrestrial magnetic influence alone was 
employed, the iron evinced a decided neutrality, 
whilst at a high temperature: and the general 
features of the phenomena, under both circum- 
stances, were precisely alike. 
101. This experiment was repeated several 
times with the same results; and although it 
might appear to be sufficiently demonstrative of 
the entire absence of magnetic action in highly 
heated iron, yet as I thought that I perceived the 
magnetic action appear at a higher degree of 
temperature in these experiments than in those 
in which the terrestrial magnetic force alone was 
