C 345 ] 
infertion of the hand into the dockings, is alone dif- 
fident, efpecially in favourable weather, to commu- 
nicate fuch an elecdric power, as renders them capable 
of anfwering expectation, in fuch experiments as I 
have had occafion to make *. 1 now return to my 
fubject. 
The opinion I had conceived, that the combination 
of filk and worded was neceflary for the production 
of electricity, feemed to meet with confirmation from 
all the experiments I made with the (lockings I then 
wore. I was at that time in mourning, fo that my 
filk (lockings were black, and under them I cohdant- 
ly wore thin white worfted. About the latter end of 
November I went out of mourning, and of courfe 
changed the colour of my (lockings. On the fecond 
of December, having put on a pair of white filk 
above the worded, after I had wore them fome 
hours, I refolved to amufe myfelf with a few expe- 
riments. The weather was remarkably favourable, 
and I had reafon to expert a fine appearance of elec- 
tricity : but upon taking off my dockings, and pull- 
ing them afunder, to my great adonidiment, I found 
they difcovered no figns of eletdrical power; as I 
* An improvement may perhaps be made upon this, by getting 
a piece of fillc or worfted knit, or wove in the flocking loom, fo 
that without being cut, it may be formed into the fhape of long mit- 
tens or fleeves, or rather into what we might call a filk or worfted 
tube. The reafon why it ought to be knit, or wove in the flocking 
loom, is, that -ic may better embrace the hand or arm ; and like- 
wife, that it may be more retentive of ele&ric virtue, which would 
efcape more eafily from a piece of filk or worfted wove in the com- 
mon loom, and cut with a number of ends of threads expofed, than 
from any thing formed in the fafhion of chain work, and confifting 
of one fingle thread of filk or worfted. 
Vol. LI. Y y 
held 
