Proceedings of the Polytechnic Association. 921 



collapse of the little balloon, they commingle, form drops, and fall, 

 and in this way a large portion of the positive electricity of a cloud 

 is carried silently to the earth. 



At every disruptive discharge a disaggregation of matter must 

 occur, or no light can be evolv^ed. 



In the case of every flash of lightning a portion of the vapor of 

 water is resolved into its elements, oxygen and hydrogen. 



The oxygen unites with free nitrogen of the air and forms nitrous 

 acid. 



The hydrogen unites also with the nitrogen to form ammonia. 



The nitrous acid and ammonia unite, forming nitrite of ammonia. 

 This salt is dissolved in the rain drops ; is absorbed in the ground ; 

 imbibed by the roots of plants ; then passed into other combinations 

 by the leaves and other organs ; then it appears in the fruits ; then 

 is eaten by animals and men, tlius aiding to form their bodies. 



In this we have one of the many beautiful and mysterious agencies 

 employed bj^the Great Supreme Intelligence, in the wonderful works 

 of creation and providence. 



Ozone, too, is formed at every discharge, the importance of which, 

 in the economy of nature, is not so well understood. 



The phenomena and effects of a common thunder shower, as given 

 above, are simple, compared with those of many great storms. 



In order to understand the electric action and movements of clouds, 

 we must be familiarized with the idea of the individualities of the 

 globules and of the other constituents of which the clouds are com- 

 posed. 



The globules are grouped into flakes, having their limits and their 

 sphere of action like the globules themselves ; the flakes in grouping 

 form mamellos ; these, in their reunion, form a cloudlet, and the 

 cloudlets form definite clouds ; the grouping of definite clouds forma 

 a cumulus, and several cumuli form a nimbus, or rain cloud. 



By regarding in this manner the electric state of the clouds, which 

 is in accordance with observation, we are enabled to comprehend 

 their enormous power of attraction in some cases, and the other 

 phonomena which they present. 



It is easy now to concoive how rain or snow are found to be 

 charged with an electricit}^ wliich they carry with them in their 

 fall. 



Each drop or flake must possess the electricity which M-as possessed 

 by the globes which formed it ; we can see also how snow or other 



