ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK. l63 



he paper-hangings of the room. He repeated the 

 xperiment, and found it would continue hanging 

 lear an hour. Having stuck up the black and 

 vhite stockings in this manner,, he came with an- 

 ther pair highly electrified ; and applying the 

 vhite to the black, and the black to the white, he 

 arried them off from the wall, each of them hang- 

 ng to that which had been brought to it. The 



rie experiments held with the painted boards of 

 ,he room, and likewise with the looking-glass, to 

 ;he smooth surface of which both the white and the 

 lack silk appeared to adhere more tenaciously than 

 o either of the former. 



Similar experiments, but with a greater variety 

 f circumstances, were afterwards made by Mr 

 3igna of Turin, upon white and black ribands. 

 He took two white silk ribands just dried at the fire, 

 nd extended them upon a smooth plane, whether 



conducting or electric substance was a matter of 

 ndifference. He then drew over them the sharp 

 dge of an ivory ruler, and found that both ribands 

 ad acquired electricity enough to adhere to the 

 lane ; though, while they continued there, they 

 lowed no other sign of it. When taken up sepa- 

 ately, they were both negatively electrified, and 

 vould repel each other. In their separation, electric 

 sarks were perceived between them; but when 

 gain put on the plane, or forced together, no light 

 vas perceived without another friction. When, by 



