478 IfHILOSOVHlCAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1747-8. 



non-electric body, over another strongly electrified, the water will immediately 

 run from the syphon in a stream ; but if supported by a piece of silk, or any 

 other electrial body, the water will immediately cease running, and only be dis- 

 charged in drops. These phenomena may, from what has been already said 

 under the former experiment, be easily accounted for. 



That the water is made to run in a stream, is plainly owing to the mutual at- 

 traction between the electrised body and the water; which attraction will continue 

 as long as the vessel which contains the water, by being supported by a non-elec- 

 tric, is prevented from retaining any of the electric effluvia; these effluvia being 

 drawn oflf by the non-electric body to which the vessel is suspended: but on the 

 contrary, when the vessel is suspended by an original electric, the effluvia, not 

 being attracted by it, will be prevented from running off, and the water will soon 

 be found to have imbibed a quantity of them, sufficient, by their repelling pro- 

 perty, to greatly weaken, or wholly to destroy, the former attraction, when the 

 water will cease to run in a stream, and only drop, as if it had not been held near 

 any electrised body. 



In order to discover the laws of electricity, Mr, E. states the following experi- 

 ments. 



Exper. 1 . If a glass tube be rubbed by a very dry hand, and a finger be 

 brought near any part of it, a spark of fire will seem to issue from it, and strike 

 against the finger; and if the finger be carried at a like distance from the end of 

 the tube towards the hand in which it is held, a number of sparks at a small dis- 

 tance from each other will be seen coming from it, and a snapping noise will be 

 heard. The tube is then said to be excited, or to be electrical ; and at some times, 

 when it is strongly excited, sparks will issue from the tube in streams, not onlj 

 while it is rubbing, but will continue to dart out from it for a considerable 

 time after the rubbing has ceased, and a very strong offensive smell will be per- 

 ceived. 



Exper. 2. If the tube, when thus excited, be held over some pieces of leaf- 

 gold, or any light bodies whatever, they will be attracted towards it; and the 

 more strongly the tube is excited, the greater distance they will be attracted from ; 

 and when they come near the tube (though without touching it) they will be re- 

 pelled from it, and continue to be so, unless touched by some other body, when 

 they will be attracted by the tube as before: but if the tube be but weakly ex- 

 cited, they will be attracted quite to the tube, to which they will sometimes adhere, 

 without being repelled from it. 



Exper. 3. If a ball (of cork suppose for lightness) be hung by a silk line, and 

 the excited tube be applied to it; it will not only be attracted, but will have an 

 attractive quality communicated to it from the tube; and if any light bodies be 

 brought near the ball, they will be attracted by it. 



