10th. Put some phosphorus in a bottle of water, in the proportion of ten grains of the former in one ounce of the latter, and, boiling it over a lamp, fire will burst forth, each particle of the phosphorus becoming a flaming ball, which will beautifully coruscate.
11th. Make a solution of tartaric acid, which, poured into sugar of lead dissolved in distilled water, will precipitate a white powder. Dry this sediment, and put it into a glass phial. Cover this with clay, and bake it in an oven. Now you can put this phial upon a charcoal fire, which you will increase in power until the glass is red-hot and no smoke leaves the mouth; stopper it up with a dab of clay or a lump of mastic, and take it away from the fire to cool. The contents are now fine powdered lead intermingled with the charcoal of the tartaric acid, which will take fire on contact with the open air. Iron and other metals, when reduced to an impalpable powder, will similarly ignite in the common air.
A FIRE OF TIN.
On tinfoil put some freshly powdered crystals of nitrate of copper; moisten with water; fold up the foil gently, wrap it up in paper, and the tin will soon begin to swell and send out flashes of light while burning away.
THE DIVING LIGHT.
On a good-sized cork or bung place a small lighted taper, and then set it afloat in a pail of water. Invert a large drinking-glass over the light, and push it carefully down into the water. The glass being full of air, prevents the water entering it. The candle will burn under water, and come up again to the surface still alight. The largest drinking-glass holds but half a pint, so that your diving light soon goes out for the want of air. A burning candle consumes as much air as a man, and he requires nearly a gallon of air every minute, so that, according to the size of the glass over the flame, you can calculate how many seconds it will remain alight, a large flame requiring more air than a small one. A quart bell-glass is very useful. A substitute is easily made from a green glass pickle bottle, with the bottom cut off.
TO DECORATE METAL.
A brilliant and varied display of colours can be made on metal by dipping the piece in a solution, heated to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, of hyposulphite of lead in hyposulphite of soda.