ON THE CHANGE OF EEFRANGIBILITY OF LIGHT.
329
colour is pretty uniform, that is, does not much change in passing from one vertical section to another. Sometimes the derived spectrum remains very bright up to its junction with the primitive, or at least till it gets so near that the superior brilliancy of the primitive spectrum prevents all observation on the derived; sometimes it remains dull to a considerable distance from the primitive spectrum, and then, opposite a highly refrangible part of the primitive spectrum, a strong illumination comes on in the derived, lasts for some distance, and afterwards gradually dies away. Many of the results mentioned in this paragraph are better observed by a somewhat different method, which will shortly be described.
104. It has been already stated that the bands H were distinctly seen on common white paper, the substance usually employed as a screen in experiments on the spectrum, but that this was due to a change of refrangibility produced in the extreme violet rays. These same bands have been seen on paper in the experiments of others, though of course their visibility was not attributed to its true cause. By the method of observation described in Art. 100, or still better, by a method not yet explained, it may be seen that the change of refrangibility produced by white paper is by no means confined to the extreme violet rays, and those still more refrangible, but extends from about the middle of the spectrum to a good distance beyond the extreme violet. The distance to which the illumination can be traced by means of light merely scattered in the ordinary way, may be seen by examining the primitive spectrum. In the primitive spectrum formed on white paper and other white substances, I have not been able to trace the illumination beyond the edge of the broad band H, which accords very well with the illuminating power of the extreme violet when received directly into the eye.
Illuminating Power of the Rays of High Refrangibility.
105. The prolongation of the spectrum seen on turmeric paper was brought forward by Sir John Herschel as a proof of the visibility of the ultra-violet rays, or rather as a confirmation of other experiments which had led him to the same conclusion. Of course, the experiment with turmeric must now be regarded as