OXYGEN AND NITROGEN.

147

MRS. B.

I shall try your skill that way, when you havea little more experience. I am now going toshow you an experiment, which proves, in a very-striking manner, how essential oxygen is to com-bustion. You will see that iron itself will burn inthis gas, in the most rapid and brilliant man-ner.

EMILY.

Really! I did not know that it was possible toburn iron.

MRS. B.

Iron is eminently combustible in pure oxygengas, and what will surprise you still more, it canbe set on fire without any very- great rise of tem-perature. Y'ou see this spiral iron wire—I fastenit at one end to this cork, which is made to fit anopening at the top of the glass receiver (PlateV'. Fig. 10.)—

EMILY.

I see the opening in the receiver; but it is care-fully closed by a ground glass stopper.

MRS. B.

That is in order to prevent the gas from escap-ing; but I shall take out the stopper, and put inthe cork, to which the wire hangs.—Now 1 meanto burn this .wire in the oxygen gas, but 1 mist

Hi!