118 Mr. C. Toralinsou on the Action of 



the globule while the latter is under the immediate influence of 

 the gas. The benzole sponge acts with remarkable energy, 

 causing the creosote to spread to the utmost verge of its cohe- 

 sion, and then to split with a jerking kind of motion. Bisul- 

 phide of carbon has also a powerful action. The motions are 

 also exceedingly curious when a drop of one of these substances is 

 placed on the surface of water with the creosote, and about half 

 an inch away from it. There is an interchange of action be- 

 tween them, an apparent repulsion, but in fact a contest be- 

 tween the solvent powers of the water and of the naphtha, &c. 

 for the creosote. If a drop of bisulphide of carbon be placed 

 near the creosote, the former remains lenticular, and does not 

 evaporate so quickly as when placed alone on water; the creo- 

 sote bombards it with a number of small globules, and is active 

 only on the side nearest to it. If a drop of bisulphide be 

 placed on either side of the creosote, the latter will carry on the 

 bombardment from two sides. A drop of benzole is, in certain 

 states of saturation of the water, so exceedingly active that it 

 pursues the creosote, and attacks it with life-like motions. 

 The latter darts about as if seeking to escape from it, and re- 

 minds one of an aquatic beetle pursuing its prey on the surface 

 of a pond. These globules of creosote, benzole, &c, have thus 

 a decided action on each other, but the lenticular discs which 

 they form on water do not coalesce; they often attract each 

 other with increasing velocity up to a certain point, and then 

 repel each other, sailing slowly away until the force of attraction 

 brings them near together again. 



The phenomena may be further complicated by the action of 

 vapours on the two dissimilar lenses. Thus creosote in the 

 presence of a naphtha globule may be very lively, aud the 

 ether-sponge held over the creosote may break it up with a 

 very decided action, and yet have little or no action on the 

 naphtha. 



I should detain you too long were I to describe the varied 

 phenomena of this kind. They have an especial interest to me, 

 because they led me to explain some of the other results partly 

 by the same laws of solution. Thus one of my earliest experi- 

 ments — the repulsion of lycopodium dust on the surface of 

 water by ether — was not altogether a case of repulsion, but also 

 of attraction — the attraction, in fact, of ether for water. But 

 first, as to repulsion. That many of these phenomena display 

 repulsion cannot be denied by any one who has witnessed them. 

 The very circumstance of ether assuming so readily the vaporous 

 state implies a strong degree of repulsion. As the ether leaves 

 the saturated sponge, its comparatively feeble cohesion becomes 

 changed into repulsion, i. e. the liquid becomes vapour, which 



