70 CANDLES AXD LAMPS. 



die. The flame is a burning or incandescent gas, with ex- 

 tremely minute particles of solid carbon, infinitely finer 

 than any visible dust, pervading it. When you blow it, 

 therefore, with a strong puff of air, the whole incandescent 

 gaseous mass is blown away, and is instantly cooled below 

 the point of combustion ; in other words, it goes out. 



If there is at the time, however, a portion of the wick in- 

 candescent, as there usually is, that, as it can not be blown 

 away, remains burning, and the more you blow upon it the 

 brighter it glows, until, as fast as successive portions of it 

 become loosened and driven off, the incandescent mass is 

 diminished; and as the coolness of the blast prevents the 

 combustion from extending itself to portions below, the 

 wick, as well as the flame, is soon entirely extinguished. 



So much for the philosophy of blowing out a candls. 



