( loj ) 
been fome Electricity communicated to the Stick or 
Feather; this put me upon thinking, whether if a Fea- 
ther were drawn through my Fingers, it might not 
produce the fame EffeCt, by acquiring fome degree of 
Electricity. This fucceeded accordingly upon my 
firft trial, the fmall downy Fibres of the Feather next 
the duill being drawn by my Finger when held near 
it : and fometimes the upper part of the Feather, with 
its Stem, would be attracted alfo* but not always with 
the fame Succefs. I then proceeded to try whether 
Hair might not have the fame Property, by taking one 
from my Wig, and drawing it 3 or 4 times through 
my Fingers, or rather between my Thumb and Fore- 
Finger, and foon found it would come to my Finger 
at thediftance ofibalf an Inch, and foon after I found 
that the fine Hair of a Dog’s Ear was ftrongly EleCtricai; 
for upon taking the Ear and drawing it through my Fin- 
gers, great numbers of them would be attracted to my 
Fingers at once. 1 was at this time in the Country, and 
made no further trial till my return to London , (which 
I did about the middle of November laft) and having 
repeated what 1 had before mentioned, the next thing 
which I thought of, was threads of Silk of feveral 
colours, and of feveral finenefles, which I found to 
be all EleCtricai, but fometimes l could not fucceed; 
the reafon of which I afterwards found, as will appear 
in the fequel of this Difcourfe. 
Having fucceeded fo well in thefe, I proceeded to 
larger quantities of the fame Materials, as pieces of 
Ribband both of coarfe and fine Silk of feveral colours, 
and found that by taking a piece of either of thefe 
of about half a yard long, and by holding the end in 
one Band, and drawing it through my other Hand 
between my Thumb and Fingers, it would acquire 
an Electricity, fo that if the Hand were held near the 
lower 
