-80 Dr. G. Gore. 



Fig. 7. 



One influence of the dimensions of the meniscus tubes consisted in 

 enabling a suitable magnitude of liquid surface to be presented to the 

 action of the current ; a sufficieDtly narrow tube in relation to the 

 power of the current was necessary in order to enable the effects to be 

 produced quickly. Another effect of narrow tubes was to produce 

 conduction resistance, and thereby give rise to evolution of heat. 

 The dimensions of the meniscus tube have also several effects, some of 

 which appear to be independent of the meniscus itself ; for instance, 

 the narrower the tube the greater is the ratio of surface of tube to the 

 mass of the liquid, and consequently the relatively greater are the 

 effects due to surface action, such as the quick mechanical movements 

 of the mass due to electric convection. 



9. Influence of Molecular Structure of the Liquids. 



That the relatively different molecular structures of the opposed 

 liquids lies at the basis of the phenomena, and are the static con- 

 ditions which permit the uniform cause (viz., the electric current) to 

 produce different effects at the surfaces of contact, to those it pro- 

 duces in the homogeneous mass of each liquid is evident, because the 

 special local effects (such as lines and layers) were usually more con- 

 spicuous in proportion to the degree of physical and chemical differ- 

 ences of the two solutions; for instance, they were more difficult 

 to produce and more feeble when two portions of the same acid, but 

 •of different degrees of dilution, were employed (as in Experiments 

 ISTos. 24, 27, 32, 33, and 39), than when one of the liquids was a dilute 

 acid and the other a solution of a heavy metallic salt. 



10. Influence of Cohesion, Viscosity, Specific Gravity, Adhesion, Ordinary 

 Diffusion, fyc, of the Liquids. 



The different degrees of cohesion, fluidity, viscosity, and specific 

 gravity of the liquids, probably all affect the phenomena ; the greater 

 ihe difference of specific gravity between the two liquids the more 

 easily were the lines produced, and the more distinct usually were the 

 hief phenomena. Some liquids, however, such as syrupy solution of 



