[ *95 ] 
was of 1 3 19 Feet, and the two parallel Halves were at 
the Diftance from each other of about fix Feet : The 
Electricity was then communicated by means of a 
Phial, and it preferved itfelf in the Wire for fevcral 
Minutes, by reafon of the fiiken Lines upon which 
the fame was fupportcd : A Finger was then brought 
to one of its Extremities to take away the Virtue; 
and in the fame Inftant it ceafed aifo at the other 
Extremity of the Wire : So that, in this Cafe, the 
Matter in Queftion returned to the Finger, that is to 
fay, marched backward, with the fame Velocity with 
which it was before fhot forwards : The eledric Matter 
therefore now came towards the explofive Spark, for 
this Spark appeared upon, the Finger as foon as it 
approached the End of the Wire to take away its 
Electricity, and therefore it is not this Spark which 
fhoots forward the eleCtric Matter with fo great a 
Velocity. 
The laft Part of the Memoir concerns the Propor- 
tion in which the eleCtric Matter is communicated 
to Bodies of the fame Nature. And here the Author 
firft eftablifhes, that it is not communicated to 
homogeneous Bodies, in proportion to their Mafies 
or Quantities of Matter, but rather in proportion to 
their Surfaces. Yet all Bodies having equal Surfaces 
do not receive equal Quantities of Eledricity : Thofe 
receive the moft, whofe Surfaces are extended the 
moft in Length. Thus a fquare Sheet of Lead re- 
ceives a much lefs Quantity of Eledricity, than a Strip 
of the fame Metal with a Surface equal to that of 
the fquare Sheet: Infomuch that the only Way to in- 
creafe in any Body its Faculty of receiving the eledric 
Virtue, is to continually increafe its Length. 
p p yii; 
