The object of the first paper is to show that every substance susceptible of magnetism by induction, when interposed as a screen, tends to arrest the action of a magnet upon a third substance: this intercepting power being directly as the mass, and inversely as the susceptibility to induced magnetism. Thus, although a single plate of iron, about the sixteenth of an inch thick, effectually intercepts the action of a revolving magnet on a disc of copper, the same result is not obtained when the disc acted upon is also of iron, instead of being of copper; unless the mass of iron interposed be very considerable. The screening influence he found to depend on the mass of iron that is interposed, and not on the surface merely. He was led to suspect that a similar effect might be obtained by employing substances not of a ferruginous nature, provided they were interposed in considerable masses, and the result of his trials justified his conjecture. An account is given of several experiments made with large masses of silver, copper, or zinc, of about four inches in thickness, which being interposed between a revolving magnetic plate and a delicately suspended disc of tinned iron, completely intercepted the action of the magnet on the iron. The author considers this interceptive property to be more or less common to every class of substance; and that in order to render it sensible, it is only necessary to employ the bodies in masses, bearing some direct ratio to their respective magnetic energies. Thus lead, having a weaker magnetic energy than copper, must be employed in a larger mass in order to produce an equal effect; and to render the screening power of ice sensible would require it to be above thirty feet in thickness. If, instead of interposing the screen of iron immediately between the revolving magnet and the suspended disc of copper, the iron be brought very near the under surface of the magnet, a similar neutralizing influence is exerted.