2 f Air. Cavallo’s Defcription of a 
bier cannot be of any ufe, on account of its being naturally 
always electrified. 
In the fame Paper of laft November, I likewife fhortly men- 
tioned a method which I had ufed for collecting difFufed quan- 
tities of eleCtricity. Since that time, I have improved the 
method ; and, alter feveral alterations, have conftruCted an in- 
ftrument for the purpofe, which, to all my friends who are 
converfant in eleCtricity, as well as to myfelf, feems to be free 
from all thofe faults which render M. Volta’s and Mr. Ben- 
net’s inftruments of little, if at all of any ufe. It feems, 
therefore, that the following defcription of this new inftru- 
ment may be of ufe to thofe who are purfuing eledtrical expe- 
riments and invefligations. 
The properties of this machine, which from its office may 
be called a collector of electricity, are, firft, that when connected 
with the atmofphere, the rain, or in ffiort with any body 
which produces eleCtricity {lowly, or which contains that 
power in a Very rarefied manner, it colleCts the eleCtricity, and 
afterwards renders both the prefence and quality of it manifeft, 
by communicating it to an electrometer. Secondly, This col- 
lecting power, by increafmg the fize of the inltrument, and 
efpecially by ufmg a fecond or fmaller inltrument of the like 
fort to colleCt the eleCtricity from the former, may be aug- 
mented to any degree. Thirdly, It is conftruCted, managed, 
and preferved with eafe and certainty; and it never gives, nor 
can it give, an equivocal refult, as 1 have proved experimen- 
tally, and as will appear by confidering its conitruCtion. 
The annexed drawing exhibits two perfpedtive views of this 
collector. Fig. i. (Tab. IV.) fhews the inftrumefit in the Itate 
of collecting the eleCtricity; and fig. 2. {hews it in the Itate m 
which the collected eleCtricity is to be rendered manifeft. A11 
electrometer 
