MAGNETIC CHARACTERS OF METALS, &c. 633 
Seebeck, especially in those cases in which the 
bodies under examination were held in the hand 
whilst presented to the magnetic needle. 
10. There are, however, some phenomena on 
record the explanations of which do not appear to 
fall within the range of the laws either of magnetic- 
electricity or thermo-electricity ; and, therefore, 
the cause of their developement is necessarily 
located in some other source. For instance, 
when Coulomb employed light, delicately sus- 
pended needles of gold, silver, glass, wood, and 
other substances, both organic and inorganic, he 
found them obey the polar forces of a magnet in 
precisely the same manner as needles of iron 
would do; for after the vibrations had ceased, 
those needles became arranged, between the 
north and south poles of powerful magnets, 
in such manner, that their axis rested in the line 
of magnetic force, or in a right line joining the 
magnetic poles employed. 
11. It is somewhat remarkable that, when 
similar experiments were made by M. Becquerel, 
the results were very different. By employing 
needles of wood, lac, and some other substances, 
this philosopher found that the positions they 
