with a large voltaic battery . 369 
in diameter, and 2-§- inches in length, was heated bright red 
throughout. 
Exp. 5. Fine points of boxwood charcoal intensely ignited 
in chlorine, neither suffered any change, nor produced any in 
the gas. The result was similar when heated in azote. 
I next tried the power of the battery to fuse several 
refractory substances. The subject of experiment was placed 
in a small cavity, made in a piece of well burnt boxwood 
charcoal, floating on the surface of the mercury in one of the 
basins before mentioned, and the circuit completed by another 
piece of charcoal, communicating by stout copper wire, with 
the other basin. 
Exp. 1. Oxide of tungsten, which, (as well as all the other 
metallic oxides operated on,) had been previously intensely 
ignited in a charcoal crucible, in a powerful furnace, fused, 
and was partially reduced. The metal greyish white, heavy, 
brilliant, and very brittle. 
Exp. 2. Oxide of tantalum. A very small portion fused. 
The grains have a reddish yellow colour, and are extremely 
brittle. 
Exp. 3. Oxide of uranium ; fused, but not reduced. 
Exp. 4. Oxide of titanium ; fused, not reduced. When 
intensely heated it burnt, throwing off brilliant sparks like 
iron. 
Exp. 5. Oxide of cerium ; fused, and when intensely 
heated it burnt with a large, vivid, white flame, and was partly 
volatilized, but not reduced. The fused oxide, on exposure 
for a few hours to the air, fell into a light brown powder, 
containing numerous shining particles of a silvery lustre, 
mdcccxv. 3 B 
