CAPILLAR Y A TTRACTION. (APP. A.) 57 



gently introduced, a rapid rushing of the surface 

 is found to occur outwards from the place where 

 the spirit is introduced. It is made more apparent 

 if fine powder be dusted on the surface of the 

 water. Another part of the phenomena is, that 

 if the sides of the vessel be wet with water above 

 the general level surface of the water, and if the 

 spirit be introduced in sufficient quantity in the 

 middle of the vessel, or if it be introduced near 

 the side, the fluid is even seen to ascend the in- 

 side of the glass until it accumulates in some places 

 to such an extent that its weight preponderates 

 and it falls down again. The manner in which 

 the author explains these two parts of the 

 phenomena is, that the more watery portions of 

 the entire surface, having more tension than those 

 which are more alcoholic, drag the latter briskly 

 away, sometimes even so as to form a horizontal 

 ring of liquid high up round the interior of the 

 vessel, and thicker than that by which the interior 

 of the vessel was wet. Then the tendency is for 

 the various parts of this ring or line to run together 

 to those parts which happen to be most watery, 

 and so there is no stable equilibrium ; for, the parts 

 to which the various portions of the liquid aggre- 

 gate themselves soon become too heavy to be sus- 

 tained, and so they fall down. The same mode 

 of explanation, when carried a step further, shows 

 the reason of the curious motions commonly ob- 

 served in the film of wine adhering to the inside 



