hy Chemical Action. 107 



calling to tlie imagination the appearance of Saturn's ring 

 when nearly closed and seen through a telescope of moderate 

 power. This ray, from its superior breadth, must neces- 

 sarily come from that pale tawny light which invests the 

 bright part of the flame. This, which is readily seen when 

 the flame is large, envelopes the middle and upper parts, but 

 cannot so easily be detected low down. It is to be attri- 

 buted to the carbonic acid and steam that have risen at a high 

 temperature in the burning shell, and are escaping at a degree 

 above that of incandescence into the air, and are mingled with 

 oxygen diffusing from the air into them. A similar tawny 

 cloak surrounds the upper part of the flame of a candle; it 

 answers to the oxidizing flame of the blowpipe, and yields 

 Brewster's monochromatic yellow light. 



IV. Explanation of the 7iature of coloured Jlames ; shoxving, foi- 

 example, ishy carbonic oxide hums blue, and cyanogen red. 

 To return now to carbonic oxide and cyanogen. Fig. 1. 



No. i represents the solar spectrum with its fixed lines; No. 3 



Spectra of various flames. Fig. 1 . 



ABC ■ E r G H7c 



Solar spec- 

 trum. 



DDODDffllDDC 

 ODDODQOIDDC 



Spirit-lamp. 

 ; Carbonic oxide. 



Cyanogen in air. 



Cyanogen in 

 oxygen. 



Oil-lamp in air. 



i Oil-lamp in 



; oxygen. 



] Hydrogen in oxygen. 

 Nitrate of strontian. 



01 D D D 



D 



Blowpipe cone. 



icj 



Fig. 2. Air in the interior of aflame. 



