POLARITY OF THE MAGNET.
The best method of proving this is to take a magnet or a piece of steel rendered magnetic, and to place it on a piece of cork by laying it in a groove cut to receive it. If the cork be placed in the centre of a basin of water, and allowed to swim freely on its surface, so that it is not attracted by the sides of the basin, it will be found to turn its north pole to the north, and its south pole to the south, the same as the mariner’s compass. If you fix two magnets in two pieces of cork, and place them also in a basin of water, and they are in a parallel position with the same poles together, that is, north to north, and south to south, they will mutually repel each other; but if the contrary poles point to one another, as north to south, they will be attracted.
THE MAGNETIC FISH.
Fish are to be purchased at the toy-shops, by which the young “magnétique” may perform this experiment; they are made hollow, and will float on the water. In the mouth of each should be inserted a piece of magnetic wire. The angling rod is like any other rod, and has a silken thread for a line, and an iron hook also strongly magnetised. To catch the fish it is only necessary to put the hook in contact with the noses of the fish, and they will be taken without any of the baits mentioned in the former part of this work.
THE MAGNETIC SWAN.
