24 Mr. cavallo’s Account of fome 
trifled negatively) is not very readily done in the ulual 
manner, becaufe of the cap ef being well rounded, and 
free from points or fharp edges. By the approach of the 
wax the electrometer will be caufed to diverge; but as 
foon as the wax is removed, the wires immediately col- 
lapfe. The beft method to electrify it is, to bring the ex- 
cited wax fo near the cap that one or both the corks may 
touch the flde of the bottle cdm.n ; after which they will 
foon collapfe and appear uneleCtrified. If now the wax 
is removed, they will again diverge and remain electri- 
fied pofitively. In this operation the wax does not im- 
part any of its electricity to the electrometer, but only 
aCts by means of its atmofphere, viz. when the excited 
wax is firft brought near the brafs cap ef (agreeable to 
the well known law of electricity j and according to Dr. 
fr-Anklin’s hypothefis) it determines the eleCtric fluid, 
naturally belonging to the corks, towards the cap; hence 
the corks repel each other. Now if in this ftate they 
touch the fides of the glafs cdmn, they acquire from it 
a quantity of eleCtric fluid equal to that, which, by the 
aCtion of the excited wax, was driven towards the cap, 
confequently they collapfe and appear uneleCtrified. 
Notwithftanding this appearance, the cap is actually 
overcharged, fo that when the wax is removed, the over- 
plus of the eleCtric fluid, which the corks had acquired 
from 
