56 VlSCfDITT OF WATER. 



film exists at ^"cli in thickness. 1 then placed on the surface of the 



the surface of water, a number of small solid bodies which remained 



suspended,, such as a small spherule of mercury, some 



pieces of extremely fine silver wire, two or three lines in 



length, and a little of the powder of tin. When the 



whole was perfectly tranquil, I took the glass in both 



hands,, and carefully raising it, I turned it three or four 



times round its axis with considerable rapidity, keeping 



it in a vertical position. All the small bodies suspended 



at the surface of the water, turned round along with the 



glass and stopped when it was stopped: but the liquid 



water below the surface did not, at first, begin to turn 



along with the glass, and its motion of rotation did not 



cease all at once upon stopping tiiat of the vessel. In fact, 



all the appearances showed that there was a real pellicle 



at the surface of the water, and that this pellicle was 



strongly attached to the sides of the glass so as to move 



along with it. 



—•which being Upon examining with a good magnifier through the 



touched all the stratum of ether, the small bodes which were supported 



floating bodies 



tremble. ^^ the surface of the water, the existence of this pellicle 



could no longer be doubted ; more particularly when 

 it was touched with the point of a needle. For in this 

 case all the small bodies Avere observed to tremble at the 

 same time. 



Having left this small apparatus at repose in a quiet 

 chamber "until the stratum of ether was entirely evapora- 

 ted, I examined it again with a magnilier. The surface 

 of the water was precisely in the same state ; the small 

 solid bodies were still there, in the same situation, and at 

 the same distances from each other. 

 With a larger When this experiment was made with a cylindrical glass 

 vessel the film of much larger diameter, the effects of the adhesion of the 

 is less affected peHicle of the water to the sides of the vessel, were much 

 by its adhesion less sensible, with regard to those parts of the same which 

 to the sides. ^yQ^e situated near the axis. It was difficult to prevent 

 the small bodies which floated on the surface of the wa- 

 ter, from uniting, and when united they often formed 

 masses too heavy to continue to be supported ; and having 

 broke the pellicle of the water, they fell to the bottom of 

 the vessel. 



[The Conclusiou In our next.] 



i 



