QO _oBNIMALS AND VEGETABLES — Tih 
-Let-us leave this irregularity : but before re- 
fuming my principal object, it will be proper to 
glance at a doubt that occurred on feeing animals 
die fooner in a clofe than an open fituation, when 
the number was encreafed; and this was, ,whe- 
ther more immediate death arofe from diminution 
of the volume of air only, or if the number 
would -occafion it in ‘another manner, and thus 
become a new caufe. To afcertain which was 
the cafe, I {elected three equal veffels, and a cer- 
tain number of the largeft frogs, as nearly of 
the fame fize as poffible. Two I confined. in 
one veflel, along with a pound of water, and one 
put alone into .each of the other two veflels, 
adding a quantity of water equal to the bulk of 
a frog: for difcovering which, | immerfed it in a 
veffel, and obferved the quantity overflowing. 
The quantities of air in the three veffels were e- 
qualized by this method, though in one were 
three frogs, and in.each of the others only one. 
If the greater number of animals accelerated 
death abfolutely from diminifhing the volume of 
air, as the quantity was equal in all the three 
veffels, the four frogs fhould die in the fame 
time nearly. If numbers influenced the accelera- 
tion of death, the two in one veffel fhould die 
firft. I have faid nearly, for it would be very 
remarkable if the animals died exaétly in, the 
fame time. The two frogs in the firft veffel liv- 
ed 
