QQ i-UMINOUS ELECTRICITV. 



Whether Biofs of the atmofpherlc air. Whether this fuppofilion can be re^ 

 theory of 1"^'- conciled to the appearance of the fpark in oil, and to fome 



nous condenfed r ■ i i r i • 



air can be fup- almofpheric phenomena, in which we are told of luminous 



ported. i^j^ii^ moving apparently with little velocity through the air, 



and particularly that flowly-moving artificial fire-ball, pro- 

 Warkire's fire- duced once, and only once, by Warltire, as narrated in 

 ^^"* Prieftley's work on air, may admit of queftion. When we 



Combuf^IoB of confider that a particle of iron, cut off and fet on fire in the 

 flinf and ileel, common aciion of ftriking a light, appears, from the vivacity 



of its combuftion, to be a body of confiderable magnitude, 

 requires a very though the ufual quantity of metal wouM not form a ball of 

 of'metah°' '°" One thoufaudth of an inch in diameter ; when we confider the 

 Elcftric temper- prodigious elevation of temperature indicated by the explofion 

 ature^is cx-^^^^^^^ ^vires of all metals b)* the ele61ric (liock, particularly in 



thofe beautiful and ftriking experiments which Van Marum 

 All metals lofe has publifiied ; and laftly, when we call to mind that a me- 

 an/ the fp'rk ^^"''^ chain lofes part of its weight every time a thock is pafled 

 paiTes only be- through it, and that the fpark is never feen to pafs between 

 SleloTet''^' '"combuftible bodies— confiderable reafons will prefent them- 

 Hence probably felves in favour of a modified fuppofition, that the eleClriq 



K was part of fpark may confift of, or be accompanied by, a portion of the 

 the body ret on , , . ^ , . , ./ , ^ ^ ^ V 



fire. body rrom winch it proceeds. 



Fire-Balls, &c. Are not the atmofpheric fire-balls or luminous meteors, 

 may be eleftnc ^j^g fliooting fliars and the ftones which have fallen from the 

 ' atmofphere, electric fparks upon a fcale of imraenfp mag- 



nitude ? 

 and the fpark a If any luminous ball were to pafs with a fvvift gngular 

 6re-balU motion over the field of view, it would have the appearancp 



of a line or ftreak of light. If it vyere to bieak in pieces many 

 divergent llreaks wpyld be feen. May not the electric brut^ 

 be a phenomenon of this defcription on a fmall fcale ? 

 Fafls are more It would not be difficult to apply this fpeculation to thp 

 win;ed than figures } and 2 before us ; but as yye are more jn want of 

 fads than of conjedtures, and as it may be hoped that fome 

 pf my readers who have the means and the time will purfue 

 this inveftigalipn, I ftiall for the prelent conclude. 



SCIENTmC 



