^08 PHILOSOPHICAL TKANSACTIONS. [aNNO i 73 Q. 



wards it, the upper bending still increasing till the whole was repelled ; and it 

 was remarkable, that the upper part or bending, on the approach of the finger, 

 or any body not impregnated with electrical effluvia, flying towards it, and the 

 under part or bending, rather seeming to fly from it, till the whole was satu- 

 rated, and in a state of repulsion with regard to the tube, and then any part of 

 it would come to the finger, or any other body, not made electrical. It is pro- 

 per to add here one more difference remarkable between the thread and the silk. 

 The thread in a state of repulsion touched with the finger, would immediately 

 fly towards the tube ; but the silk in the same state, after touching several 

 times, still continued in a state of repulsion, and would not be attracted till 

 squeezed from top to bottom between the finger and thumb, once, and some- 

 times two or three times. And further, the thread would immediately turn 

 again into a state of repulsion, whereas the silk, after the violence committed 

 by the thumb and finger, being attracted to the tube, would not without a 

 good deal of rubbing the tube, be repelled again. 



Carol. 1. From the different state of the pendulous silk and threads at the 

 same time, under the same circumstances, the former being attracted while 

 the latter is repelled, it follows, that a mere vibration of the parts of the 

 tube is not sufficient to account for the electrical phaenomena ; which ap- 

 pears further from the two contrary states continuing some time, and from the 

 same piece of silk being at once part in a state of repulsion, part in a state of 

 attraction. 



Corol. 1. That some bodies immediately receive and immediately part with 

 the electric effluvia ; but that others are some time before they receive it, or 

 receive enough of it ; and when they have received enough of it, part with it 

 more unwillingly. 



Corol. 3. That any light body, as a feather, after touching, or nearly ap- 

 proaching the tube, must fly from it : on contact or a near approach, it satu- 

 rates itself with the electric effluvia, and by this means becomes itself elec- 

 trical ; and consequently from the foregoing experiments, is in a state of re- 

 pulsion with regard to the tube. As soon as it touches any other body, it loses 

 its acquired electricity, and therefore may be attracted as at first. 

 Prop. II. Tivo or more Bodies made electrical, by communicaiivg with an 

 Electrical Body excited by Friction, are in a state of Repulsion with re- 

 gard to one another ; or Bodies made electrical by Communication, repel one 

 another. 



Exper 1. Mr. W. suspended two pieces of white thread, each about one 

 foot long, by loops, on a horizontal blue silk line, 4 feet long, about half an 

 inch asunder from each other ; and on holding the excited tube over them at a 



