NEW ACTIONS PRODUCED BY " N" RAYS 35 



by the following contrivance : an Auer burner, 

 provided with a sheet-iron chimney, in which a 

 rectangular orifice, 60 mms. high and 25 mms. 

 broad, has been cut, is enclosed in an iron 

 lantern pierced with an opening placed in front 

 of the chimney orifice, and stopped up by a 

 plate of aluminium. In front of this window 

 the small slip of paper is placed, illuminated 

 in the manner indicated above. If, now, the 

 rays are intercepted by interposing a sheet of 

 lead or the hand, the small paper rectangle is 

 seen to darken, and its contours to lose their 

 sharpness ; the light diffused by the slip of 

 paper is thus increased by the action of " N " 

 rays. 



The following idea then presented itself: 

 the diffusion of light is a complex phenomenon, 

 in which the elementary fact is regular reflection, 

 and consequently there is reason for ascertain- 

 ing experimentally whether the reflection of 

 light is, or is not, modified by the action of 

 "N " rays. For this purpose, a polished steel 

 knitting-needle was fixed vertically in place of 

 the slip of paper of the former experiment ; at 

 the same time, in a box completely closed, with 



