d to my great surprise that the character of the splash, at any
rate up to a height of 4 or 5 feet, depends entirely on the state of the
surface of the sphere. A polished sphere of marble about 0.6 of an inch
in diameter, rubbed very dry with a cloth just beforehand and dropped
from a height of 2 feet into water, gave the figures of Series VI., in
which it is seen that the water spreads over the sphere so rapidly, that
it is sheathed with the liquid even before it has passed below the
general level of the surface. The splash is insignificantly small and of
very short duration.[3] If the drying and polishing be not so perfect,
the configurations of Series VII. are produced; while if the sphere be
roughened with sandpaper, or _left wet_, Series VIII. is obtained, in
which it will be perceived that, as was the case with the liquid drop,
the water is driven away laterally, forming the ribbed basket-shaped
hollow, which, however, is now prolonged to a great depth, the drop
being followed by a cone of air, while the water seems to find great
difficulty in wetting the surface completely. Part of this column of air
was carried down at least 16 inches, and then only detached when the
sphere struck the bottom of the vessel.

SERIES VI., VII.

_Splash of a Solid Sphere (a marble 1/2 inch in diameter falling 2 feet
into water)._

[Illustration: SERIES VI.

When the sphere is _dry_ and _polished_.]

[Illustration: SERIES VII.

When the sphere is _not_ well _dried_ and _polished_.]

[Illustration: SERIES VIII.

_The Splash of a Solid Sphere_--(continued.)

When the sphere is _rough_ or _wet_.]

[Illustration: SERIES IX.

_The Splash of a Solid Sphere_--(continued.)

When the sphere is rough or wet, and falls above 5 feet.]

Figs. 6 and 7 show the crater falling in, but this did not always
happen, for the walls often closed over the hollow exactly as in Figs. 4
and 5 of Series IV. Meanwhile the long and nearly cylindrical portion
below breaks up into bubbles which rise quickly to the surface.

By increasing the fall to 5 feet we obtain the figures of Series IX. The
tube of Fig. 1 corresponds to the dome of Series IV. and V., and is not
only elevated to a surprising height, but is also in the act of cleaving
(the outline being approximately that of the unduloid of M. Plateau).
Figs. 2 and 3 show the bubble formed by the closing up of this tube,
weighed down in the centre as in Figs. 5 and 6 of Series V. Similar
resu