194 Mr. Herschel on certain motions produced in 
temps d’une multitude des bulles d’hydrogbne. Ne pour- 
roit-on pas encore d'apres cette observation, qui prouve que 
toute la surface du bain est parcourue d’hydrogene, ne pourroit- 
on pas trouver dans remission rapide et abondante de ce gas 
la cause de l’electricite,quand on considere que Fair atmosphe- 
rique dirig6 avec une soufflet sur un carreau de verre donne 
a ce carreau 1’electricite vitr£e ; ou bien cette effluve d’hy- 
drogene qui pousse vivement sur le mercure les molecules de 
bismuth non amalgame, qui les reunit sous forme de pellicule, 
produit entre les deux m6taux un frottement qui developpe 
cette ^lectricite/’ 
58. From these passages it seems natural to collect, that M. 
Serrulas conceives, 1st, the production, motion, &c. of the 
pellicle on the surface to originate in the actual mechanical 
impulse of streams of hydrogenous matter (effluve d’hydro- 
gene,) radiated in all directions from the potassium in the 
moment of its oxidation. That, andly, this bodily radiation 
of hydrogen is propagated along the surface to any distance. 
That, 3rdly, the hydrogen disengaged in bubbles from a me- 
tallic wire plunged into the mercury is this actual radiant 
hydrogen, conveyed and collected on its surface from all 
parts of the mercury. That, 4thly, the friction of the hydro- 
gen so radiated produces the electricity, and not the electri- 
city the hydrogen. And, lastly, that the gyration of the 
fragments themselves is a consequence of the re-action of the 
hydrogen they dart out during their oxidation by the water. 
59. All these phenomena, however, are much better ac- 
counted for on the principles of this Lecture, from a knowledge 
of the properties conferred on mercury by alloying it with po- 
tassium ; but, first, it is necessary to premise, that the mere 
