644 Mr. G. Gore on the Electrical Relations of 



in others, which they have less profoundly studied — often mis- 

 guide less experienced investigators by the weight of their opi- 

 nion. We do not at all pretend to have given a true theory of 

 the solar spots ; we profess merely to have shown that the hypo- 

 thesis which regards them as clouds is, of the many conceivable 

 ones, decidedly not the happiest. 



LXIX. On the Electrical Relations of Metals &;c. in Fused Sub- 

 stances. By G. Gore, Esq* 



IN the following experiments, most of the substances to be 

 fused were contained in small porcelain crucibles, and 

 heated by means of the flame of a Bunsen's burner; the more 

 infusible bodies were melted in clay crucibles in one of my small 

 gas-furnaces — particular care being taken to have neither an 

 excess of gas nor of air in the furnace, by testing at the top of 

 the chimney for carbonic oxide by means of a brightly red-hot 

 rod of iron, and diminishing the supply of gas until all traces of 

 carbonic oxide precisely disappeared. The condition of the con- 

 tents of the crucible could at all times be ascertained without 

 admitting air into the furnace, by placing upon the top of the 

 furnace a vertical tube of fireclay about four inches high, closed 

 at its upper end by a thin disk of glass. 



The materials of which the electrodes were composed included 

 carbon, magnesium, aluminium, silicium, zinc, tin, lead, iron, nic- 

 kel, copper, silver, gold, and platinum. The carbon consisted of 

 bars of gas-graphite as used for electric lamps ;"the magnesium was 

 a, rod of Mr. Sonstadt's purest variety ; the aluminium was ob- 

 tained from Messrs. Bell of Newcastle ; the silicium was in the 

 form of lumps, obtained by fusing the finest crystals under a 

 mixture of powdered Bohemian glass, silico-fluoride of potas- 

 sium, and a little hydrate of potash; the zinc, tin, and lead 

 were of the best commercial kinds ; the iron was ' ' pianoforte 

 wire ;". the rod of nickel was kindly given to me by Mr. H. Wig- 

 gin, of the firm of Evans and Askin, Birmingham ; the copper 

 was ordinary wire of commerce; the silver and gold were of 

 " virgin " quality ; and the platinum was obtained from Messrs, 

 Johnson and Matthey, London. 



The most superficial consideration of the conditions of these 

 experiments will show that a number of interfering circum- 

 stances were more or less necessarily present, and that the re- 

 sults obtained are not in all cases simply and purely due to 

 chemico-electric action : — for instance, 1st, thermo-electric action 

 of the heated and immersed ends of the electrodes ; 2nd, ditto 



* Communicated by the Author. 



