320 PHILOSOPHICAL THANSACTIONS. [aNNO \73Q. 



fixed, is irregular, as he found by many different experiments, repeated 

 with the greatest care and caution; and since he was convinced from these last 

 mentioned trials, the motion from west to east, and from east to west, must 

 generally have been determined by himself: he is inclined to think, that a 

 desire of producing a motion from west to east, was the secret cause that de- 

 termined the pendulous body to that direction, by some impression from Mr. 

 Gray's hand, as well as his own, though he was persuaded at the same time, 

 he was not sensible of giving any motion to his hand himself: and he the 

 rather thinks this was the case, from the instance Mr. Gray gives, by way of 

 explanation, of a man resting his elbows on his knees, this implying that he 

 rested his arm on his elbow, as Mr. W. did himself. 



But though upon the whole it does at last appear, that this motion from 

 west to east in a pendulous body, applied to another in the centre of an electric 

 area, is to be ascribed to the hand that holds it, and not solely to the nature 

 of the electric effluvia, or the figure of the central body ; yet still, perhaps, it 

 may not be improper for astronomers to consider, whether or no a medium 

 with this property, that all bodies immerstd in it, are repulsive of one another, 

 ought not to be joined with gravity to explain the heavenly phaenomena; espe- 

 cially since the phaenomena of fire, and our electric effluvia, have a great 

 affinity to each other; and since many of the heavenly phaenomena are to be 

 accounted for, on this supposition, with great simplicity; and some of them, 

 that have not yet perhaps been fully accounted for, seem necessarily to 

 follow. 



Of the Ivfluence which two Pendulum Clocks were observed to have on each other. 

 By Mr. John Ellicott, F.R.S. N° 453, p. 126. 



'- The two clocks, on which the following observations were made, being de- 

 signed for regulators, particular care was taken to have every part made with all 

 possible exactness : the two pendulums were hung in a manner different from 

 what is usual ; and so disposed, that the wheels might act on them with more 

 advantage. Upon trial they were found not only to move with greater freedom 

 than common, but a heavier pendulum was kept in motion by a smaller weight. 

 They were in every respect made as near alike as possible. The ball of each of 

 the pendulums weighed above 23 lb, ; and required to be moved about 1° 5' from 

 the perpendicular, before the teeth of the swing wheel would scape free of the 

 pallets ; that is, before the clocks would be set a going. The weight to each 

 was 3 lb. which would cause either of the pendulums in their vibrations to de 

 scribe an arch of 3". The two clocks were in cases, which shut very close. 



