‘80 ~‘ANINIALS AND VEGETABLES IIL. 
-able ; on the contrary, when it is not, that if be- 
-comes fatal to both. The precife quantity which 
may be noxious can only be determined by the 
nature, conftitution, and quality of the animals 
and vegetables confined. . 
By experiments in different feafons, I difcover- 
ed that the death of animals is not only acceler- 
ated by diminifhing the fize of the veffels, as I 
have fhewn,; but alfo by the increafe of heat. 
This is particularly feen in animals .which are 
eafily procured at any time of the year, and Jive 
long without food ; fuch as, newts, leeches, land 
and water ferpents, vipers, and fome fpecies of 
fifhes. I was as careful as poflible to take’ 
the individuals, for my experiments, of an equal: 
fize and equally vigorous, fo thatthe comparifons: 
might be the more juft.. While engaged with 
very different matters, I difcovered this new faét 
in the following manner. On the fifth of April, 
along with other things; I prepared three jars’; 
the firft might contain fix pounds of water ; the 
fecond, four ; and the third, two. Four newés: 
were confined in each. My experiments were 
directed to inveftigate whether the animals died 
fooner as the volume of air diminifhed; and I 
found it to be the cafe. The four newts in the 
fmalleft veffel perifhed in forty-one hours; in the 
intermediate veffel, in two days; and in the 
largeft, in feven days. . 
/ k 
On 
