436 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 17 IQ, 



experiments on quicksilver, which were exactly the reverse of those made by 

 Dr. Taylor, the late Mr. Haiiksbee, and myself, upon water; by which I am 

 now enabled to throw this whole affair into a little system by itself ; I shall lay 

 it down in the following propositions, the proof of which is contained in the 

 experiments annexed. 



Prop. I. The Particles of JVater attract one another. — ^This, I think, is now 

 universally acknowledged, and therefore needs no demonstration ; the sphericity 

 of the drops of rain, and the running of two drops of water into one another 

 on their contact, manifestly proving it. 



Prop. 2. The Particles of Quicksilver attract one another. — ^This is likewise 

 manifest from the spherical figure, into which a drop of mercury forms itself 

 on a table; and from two of them immediately running together as soon as 

 they come to touch. 



Prop. 3. JVater is attracted by Glass. — This plainly appears from all the 

 experiments on this subject. 



Prop. 4. Quicksilver is attracted by Glass. — Exper. 1 . If a small globule 

 of quicksilver be laid on a clean paper, and be touched with a piece of clean 

 glass; on drawing the glass gently away, the quicksilver adheres to it, and is 

 drawn along with it. And if the glass be lifted up from the paper, the quick- 

 silver will be taken up by it, in the same manner as a piece of iron is drawn up 

 by the loadstone, and will adhere to the glass by a plain surface of a consider- 

 able breadth, in proportion to the bulk of the drop, as manifestly appears by 

 an ordinate microscope. Then if the glass be held a little obliquely, the drop 

 of mercury will roll slowly on its axis along the under side of the glass, till it 

 comes to the end, where it will be suspended as before. 



Exper. 2. If a pretty large drop of mercury be laid on a paper, and two 

 pieces of glass be made to touch it, one on each side; on drawing the glasses 

 gently from each other, the drop of mercury will adhere to them both, and 

 will be visibly drawn out from a globular to an oval shape ; the longer axis 

 passing through the middle of those surfaces in which the drop touches 

 the glasses. 



Prop. 5. The Particles of Water are more strongly attracted by Glass, 

 than by each other. — This manifestly appears from the rising of water in small 

 tubes above the level. For when the water begins to rise into a capillary tube, 

 all the particles of water, which touch the small annul us at the bottom of the 

 tube, must have quitted the contact of the other water, and have risen con- 

 trary to their gravity, to come into contact with the glass. After the same 

 manner the other experiments of Dr. Taylor, Mr. Hauksbee, and myself, on 



