VOL. XXXIX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 53 



an inch thick, being placed erect on a stand, set on another glass cylinder, so 

 that the centre of the board was placed near the point of the rod, but not to 

 touch it by near i- inch ; then the tube being held near the thick end of the 

 rod, there issued out a light from the small end, which was that next the board; 

 and it came along with a hissing noise, and struck against the board : when the 

 boy touched the board, there was a light ; and at the same time another on 

 the end of the rod, but he heard no snapping nor pricking of his finger, as 

 when the brass plate and iron rod were used. 



Experiments with the Scarlet and Blue Worsted Yarn repeated. — When the 

 boy was suspended on the scarlet lines, he attracted the white thread at a very 

 small distance ; but the attraction ceased in about 6 or 7 seconds of time. 

 Then the boy being taken off, an iron rod was laid on the lines, but there 

 was no attraction of the thread by the body of the rod; but when the thread 

 was held near either of its pointed ends, it showed a small repulsion, and in 

 the dark a very small light was seen at each end of the rod. 



When the boy was suspended on the blue lines, he attracted the thread to 

 him when it was held at least a foot from him, and he continued his attrac- 

 tion to near 75 seconds, the iron rod continued its attraction not more than 

 36 seconds. 



When he was suspended on the blue lines, he continued his attraction 50 

 minutes, on the scarlet lines 25 minutes, on the orange coloured lines 21 

 minutes. 



By these experiments we see the efficacy of electricity on bodies sus- 

 pended on lines of the same substance, but of different colours, and also that 

 the attraction continues much longer on silk than on yarn, and consequently 

 silk is the properest body we can make use of, to suspend those bodies on, to 

 which we would communicate an electricity. 



An Account of the Births and Burials, with the Number of the Inhabitants 

 at Stoke- Damerel, Devonshire. Communicated by the Rev. Mr. fVm. Barlow.. 

 ]S° 439, p. J7I. 



On taking a survey, about Michaelmas 1733, of the inhabitants of Stoke- 

 Damerel, in the county of Devon, the number of persons, men, women, 

 and children, residing in the parish, amounted to 336l. By the register, it 

 appears that in the same year, 28 couples were married, 61 males and 61 fe- 

 males baptized, and 61 people buried. 



Whence it appears that the number of persons who died, is only one more 

 than half the number of children born ; and that about 1 in 54 died. 



