before, will increase the diameter of these disks, but the outside rays alone will have a greater effect in reducing it, than when the inside rays are left to join with them.
19th Experiment, Trial of Estimations.
I placed two silver globules at a small distance from each other upon the post, but without measuring either the globules or their distance. When I viewed them with 522,7 they appeared in the shape of two half moons in an horizontal situation. The unenlightened parts of them were also pretty distinctly visible. I estimated the vacancy between the cusps of the lunes to be 14 diameter of the largest.
On measuring the diameters and distance under the microscope, it appeared that the largest was ,0312; a quarter of which is ,0078. The distance of the globules from each other measured ,0111. The difference in the estimation ,0033 is less than 1300 part of an inch.
The experiment was repeated with a change of the distance of the globules from each other. They were then estimated to be less than the diameter of the large one asunder, but full that of the small one. When they were measured it was found that their distance was ,02608, and the diameter of the small one was ,0247, which estimation is still more accurate than the former.
20th Experiment. Use of the Criterion.
It remained now to be ascertained whether these half moons were spurious or real; for although I could also imperfectly perceive the dark part of the disks of the globules, yet a doubt would arise whether the two halves were really of equal
