IIL CONFINED IN STAGNANT AIR. 99 
that there are many animals whofe death in clofe 
veffels does not leflen the elafticity of the air. 
Secondly, when it is diminifhed, it is very little. 
The firft refult is unfavourable to thofe who a- 
{cribe the death of animals to the diminifhed e- 
lafticity of the air. It cannot be attributed to this: 
for, if animals die, in many cafes, without the air 
fenfibly lofing its elafticity, we muft conclude that 
their death has another caufe. And I doubt 
very much whether in any cafe diminifhed elaf- 
ticity has occafioned death, becaufe it was fo 
little. By Veratti’s experiments,. it appears that 
the barometer did not fall much more than an 
inch at the greateft alteration. According to mine, 
the water in the receiver fometimes rofe a few 
lines, fometimes near an inch, and at meft an 
inch and feven lines; that is, one fourteenth 
of an inch, andvfeven fourteenths of a line of 
mercury. But we know that in changes of wea- 
ther, there is a greater difference in the weight of 
the air. The mercury in the barometer fome- 
times falls more than an inch, and falls very fait, 
efpecially in ftorms, without affeSting animals ; 
G2 otherwife, 
‘ and expiration, fo that the -pabulum is confumed by the 
« animal, or the air is decompofed, and becomes unfit to 
« fupport life.’ Thus, this author is very near the true 
theory of refpired air. Y/ome Laghii de Animalium in 
aére intercluforum interitu—T. 
