  Taking the pseudobinary C15-Laves phase compound
Ce(Fe$_{0.96}$Al$_{0.04}$)$_2$ as a paradigm for studying a ferromagnetic(FM)
to antiferromagnetic(AFM) phase transition, we present interesting
thermomagnetic history effects in magnetotransport measurements across this
FM-AFM transition. We argue that these distinctive hysteretic features can be
used to identify the exact nature -first order or second order - of this kind
of transition in magnetic systems where electrical transport is strongly
correlated with the underlying magnetic order. A comparison is made with the
similar FM-AFM transitions observed in Nd and Pr-based manganese compounds with
perovskite-type structure.
