puzzling body; the difficulties of observation were very much increased by
the extraordinary activity shown by this element and the dazzling
brilliancy of some of its constituents. The gaseous atom is an ovoid body,
within which a spirally-coiled snake-like body revolves at a high velocity,
five brilliant points of light shining on the coils. The snake appears to
be a solid rounded body, but on raising the atom to E 4 the snake splits
lengthwise into two waved bodies, and it is seen that the appearance of
solidity is due to the fact that these spin round a common axis in opposite
directions, and so present a continuous surface, as a ring of fire can be
made by whirling a lighted stick. The brilliant bodies seen in the atom are
on the crests of the waves in the positive snake, and in the hollows in the
negative one; the snake itself consists of small bead-like bodies, eleven
of which interpose between the larger brilliant spots. On raising these
bodies to E 3 the snakes break up, each bright spot carrying with it six
beads on one side and five on the other; these twist and writhe about still
with the same extraordinary activity, reminding one of fire-flies
stimulated to wild gyrations. It can been seen that the larger brilliant
bodies each enclose seven ultimate atoms, while the beads each enclose two.
(Each bright spot with its eleven beads is enclosed in a wall, accidentally
omitted in the diagram.) On the next stage, E 2, the fragments of the
snakes break up into their constituent parts; the positive and negative
bodies, marked _d_ and _d'_, showing a difference of arrangement of the
atoms contained in them. These again finally disintegrate, setting free the
ultimate physical atoms, identical with those obtained from hydrogen. The
number of ultimate atoms contained in the gaseous atom of oxygen is 290,
made up as follows:--

2 in each bead, of which there are 110:
7 in each bright spot, of which there are 10;
2 x 110 + 70 = 290.