t 
viii On the Method of rendering very fenfbie 
tricity, and it mud: be confequently concluded, that the air, 
which iurrounds them, is alio at all times electrified. This 
method not only lhews the exigence of electricity, but gives 
alfo room to afcertain whether it is pofitive or negative, and 
that when the atmofpherical conductor itfelf is not capable of 
attracting the fined: thread ; but if the conductor were to Shew 
any very fmall attraction, then, by means of our apparatus, 
there may be obtained even drorngfparks. 
3. The eleCtrophorus in this cafe might perhaps better de- 
ferve the name of electrometer, or micro-eledrcmeter , but I 
had rather call it a condenfer of electricity , for the fake of ufing 
a word which exprefles at once the reafon and caufe of ther 
phenomena to be treated of in this paper, as will be made 
evident in the fecond part. 
The whole method may be reduced to the following few 
obfervations. I. An eleCtrophorus mud be procured, the refi- 
nous coat of which mud be very thin, and either not at all elec- 
trified, or, if electrified, its eleCtricity be entirely extin- 
guished. 
II. Its ufual metal plate mud be laid upon this refinous and 
uneleClrified plate, in full and flat contaCt ; but care mud be 
taken that it does in no point touch the lamina of metal upon 
which the refinous dratum is ufually fadened. 
III. Thofe plates being fo conjointly placed, a conducting 
communication, viz. a wire mud be brought from the atmo- 
fpherical conductor to touch the metal plate of the eleCtro- 
phorus, and to touch that only. 
IV. The apparatus mud be left in that Situation for a cer- 
tain time, viz. till the metal plate may have acquired a diffi- 
dent quantity of eleCtricity through the conducting commu- 
nication, which brings it from the atmofpherical conductor 
very {lowly. 
V. Ladly, the conducting communication mud be removed 
from the contaCt of the metal plate: the metal plate is 
then feparated from the refinous one, by lifting it up by its 
infulating handle, after which it is in a date of attracting, of 
electrifying an electrometer, or, if the eleCtricity is lufficientlv 
drong, of giving fparks, &c. at the fame time the atmofpherical 
conductor 
