the Cohesion-Figures of Liquids. 429 



The oil of bitter almonds formed a chalky ring, which descended 

 through the column of liquid, expanding as it descended, and 

 rotating rapidly about its curved axis inwards, i. e. towards the 

 vertical axis, an effect that will be referred to more particularly 

 hereafter. The oil of rue sank some way in the liquid, flashed 

 into rings which expanded upwards. Oil of cubebs, which was 

 so beautiful in spirits of wine, had no action in benzole. Oil of 

 wintergreen formed a fine glassy-looking ring, or rather disk, 

 with a thickened edge j the disk became cup-shaped, then broke 

 up into rings and festoons of some breadth, which were dotted 

 over with a pattern. A drop of camphorated spirit descends 

 like a hollow cup, enclosing globules of spirit ; and when it 

 breaks up into rings and festoons, the latter are studded with 

 minute shells or globules of camphor, producing a pretty effect. 

 Turpentine forms a good figure ; and an inferior oil of lavender, 

 probably adulterated with turpentine, behaved somewhat like it, 

 very different from the purer oil. The fixed oils form disks 

 which descend with waving edges, as in the case of olive oil, or 

 cup-shaped vessels, which become drawn out in descending, as 

 shown in the figure which refers to croton or colza oil. The 

 drop forms first a well-balanced dish (No. 1), the bottom of which 

 descends (No. 2) and draws with it portions of the side (No. 3). 

 The effect last described is modified when a drop of croton 

 oil is allowed to descend through a column of paraffin oil. The 

 drop is drawn out into the figures (Nos. 1, 2, and 3) represented 

 in the Plate, as if the bottom fell out and the sides collapsed. 

 But the most remarkable effect is with a drop of fousel oil in a 

 column of paraffin oil. The drop first forms a dish (No. 1) 

 bagging downwards, and this almost immediately expands up- 

 wards (No. 2), swells out into a dome or cone (No. 3), the ring 

 expanding all the time ; the point of the cone remains fixed in 

 the liquid, while the lower edge becomes arched at four equi- 

 distant points, the edges of the arches beautifully fringed, and 

 lets fall lines with drops at the ends, which form separate cones, 

 each of which becomes arched, and lets down other lines with 

 drops. In this way a figure (No. 4) is produced of great 

 beauty, and with an architectural kind of effect which is very 

 striking. The duration is also considerable. The texture of 

 the figure is gauze-like and delicate. Absinthe and neroli also 

 form beautiful gauze-like figures in paraffin oil. Oil of cubebs 

 lets drop two or three horizontal rings, not connected by festoons. 

 Oil of cloves produces a similar result. Kreosote forms delicate 

 chalky lines and globules. Oil of bitter almonds forms a convex 

 lens; camphorated spirit is spheroidal; lavender breaks up into 

 rings and festoons, but with considerable differences in different 

 specimens, depending on the purity. 



