266 Translations and abstracts from the French. 



The author states, that agreeably to this last method, he 

 placed a Reaumur's thermometer in a glass vessel full of 

 fresh water, one inch and a half high and an inch in diame- 

 ter, so that the ball was about a line from the bottom. On 

 exposing it to a cold atmosphere, the intervals of cooling 

 were as follows. 



Temperature. Intervals of time. 



+6.6 60" 



5.5 55 



5.0 50 



5.0 50 



4.5 65 



4.0 198 



3.5 60 



3.0 70 



2.0 

 The influence of a maximum density is abundantly mani- 

 fest in this experiment. The sudden retardation of cooling 

 between 4° and 3° would be inexplicable without a previous 

 knowledge of the anomalous dilatation of water. 



But in salt water the eftect is different. The result of the 

 several series of experiments is 



1. That salt water, specific gravity 1.027, has no maxi- 

 mum density ./hile it remains liquid ; and even when ice has 

 begun to form, the part which remains fluid, increases con- 

 stantly and considerably in density. 



2. Salt water at 1.020 attains no maximum density ; or at 

 least none while it is sensibly distant from the freezing tem- 

 perature, 1°.25. 



3. Salt water at 1.010 acquires a maximum density, but 

 at a temperature inferior to that of the greatest quantity of 

 fresh water, viz. -\-1°.5. 



It thus appears that a mixture of marine salt lowers the 

 maximum temperature, and, in proportion to its strength, 

 and finally causes the maximum t6 disappear. It is probable 

 that it is only the maximum repelled to the point of solidifi- 

 cation. This circumstance which is demonstrated in the 

 metallic mixture of Rose, would probably be met with in 

 other bodies, if their changes of volumes in the vicinity of 

 the fusing point were carefully examined.' — Bib. Univ. Oct. 

 1828. 



