104 ANIMALS AND’ VEGETABLES Ih 
the death of animals: the increafed heat of the 
atmofphere, and the number of animals confined.. 
The exhalations are in thefe cafes more copi- - 
ous :. reafon perfuades us of it; and it 1s confirm- 
ed by the more foetid odour on.opening the vef- 
fels. As we cannot. afcribe the death of ani- — 
mals to the diminifhed elafticity of the air, and 
as no other caufes appear, why may we not re- 
cur to the exhalations now. become more denfe 
and active? Befides, as we fhall fee, animals die 
fooner in clofe veflels where there are fome al- 
ready dead, becaufe the exhalations. are more 
abundant. By this. means,.we comprehend how 
animals. confined. alone, or in. {mall numbers, 
furvive much: longer than where there are many, 
and why. they live longer in cold weather,, for in 
either cafe the quantity of the vapour is-lefs. For 
the fame reafon,. their lives will. be abridged in 
proportion. to the fmallnefs of the veffels ; as the 
vapours become denfer from. the little {pace they 
have to fpread. 
With. all thefe fats, we cannot affirm that di: 
minifhed elafticity of the air occafions death, and 
not the exhalations of refpiration, or fome ma- 
terial change which the air undergoes; particu- 
larly as,. by. continued. infpiration and expiration, 
it will ceafe to be the fame for want of free cir- 
culation, and will lofe the pabulum, which is a 
fubftance or quality known only by name, but 
on: 
