t I!I ] 



vations made in the time they pafled 

 through fuch a place. But I muft 

 leave the difcuiliori of this matter 

 to my refpec~table friend Abbe Fon- 

 tana, who, in my opinion, has cafl 

 a great light upon this important 

 fubject ; and intends foon to pub- 

 lifh his obfervations on this head, 

 I will add only fome further reflec- 

 tions upon the changeablenefs of 

 air, its Proteus-like and metapho- 

 rical nature. 



Since the experiments of the 

 Rev. Dr. Hales, we know that air 

 enters the compoiition of bodies^ 

 and even ferves as a kind of cement 

 for the Itronger cohefion of the 

 conftituent particles of a folid body. 

 By this it feems that air may become 

 itfelf a folid body, as it conflitutes 

 fuch a confiderable part of fome 

 particular bodies, fuch as are, for 



inifance, 



