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about the described variations of the voltaic condition of ouratmosphere, either in a slow or sudden manner, and with respectto that point of my experiments I will only say that the rapidityof the changes alluded to, essentially depends upon the degreeof temperature at which phosphorus is acting upon the atmo-spheric air. Supposing our atmosphere to have 1 assumed itsneutral condition, remove the phosphorus from the bottle andput into the latter any readily oxidable metal, being in the form zof filings or powder, e. g. iron, tin, zinc etc. or any other sub-stance being eager to unite with oxigen, for instance theprotochloride of tin or of iron, or the common iron vitriol,shake the atmosphere with one of the bodies named and it(the atmosphere) will almost instantaneously be brought againto a positive condition of consi[de]rable intensity, which statedoes not seem to be Hable to change any raore. If on theother hand our atmosphere, after having acquired its highestdegree of negatively polarizing power, be treated in the mannerdescribed, for instance with iron filings, this power is not onlyentirely and suddenly destroyed, but the atmosphere changesaltogether its voltaic nature and assumes a highly electro-positive condition. It is a matter of course that by thequantity of oxidable matter put into the negative atmosphere,we raay regulate at pleasure its voltaic condition. (The inteti-sity of its negatively polarizing power may be only diminished,or the atmosphere may be rendered neutral, or more or lesspositive from the slightest degree of that State to its inaximum.)Before farther proceeding in the account of my researches, Imust not omit to mention the fact that by putting a Solutionof chloride of Gold into an atmosphere, whose positive con-dition has been restored by means of readily oxidable substances,that condition is suddenly and irrecoverably destroyed.
From the facts stated, it appears that by the slow actionof phosphorus upon atmospheric air two gazeous princibles
1 having. 2 shape.