tx% Mr. Kirwan’s Experiments 
flamed and produced a white fmoke until about half as much 
common air was introduced as there was originally of phofpho- 
xlc; and yet the original bulk did not appear increafed ; the 
flame each time produced a fmall commotion, and a fmoke de* 
foended after inflammation into the water : when flame ceafed 
to be produced, fmoke hill followed the introduction of more 
common air. Bubbles of phofphoric air, efcaping through 
mercury into the atmofphere, flame, crackle, and fmeil, exadtly 
like the eleCtric fpark 
To a meafure of phofphoric air I let up a half meafure of 
nitrous air.: a white fmoke appeared, with an exceeding flight 
diminution, and the tranfparency was foon reftored, a flight 
feura being depofited on the fides of the jar. Another half 
meafure of nitrous air produced no fmoke or diminution ; but 
on adding water, and agitating the air in it, much more of it 
was abforbed. Upon turning up the jar the nitrous air firft 
efcaped in the form of a red vapour, and this was followed by 
a whitifh fmoke. The water had a phofphoric fmeil, and pre- 
cipitated the folution of filver brown. In this experiment the 
acid of the nitrous air feems to have aCled the fame part that it 
does in hepatic air. 
Phofphoric air was fcarce at all dimmiflied by the addition of 
an equal meafure of alkaline air ; and water being put up to 
thefe, took up in appearance little elfe than alkaline air, yet 
on turning up the mouth of the jar, the refiduary air fmoked 
without flaming. 
* A few months after I made thefe experiments on phofphoric air, the tenth 
I 
' volume of the Memoires des Savans Etrangers was publifhed ; and in this I 
found, that the fpontaneous inflammation of this air was known to M. Gin- 
-oembre in the year 1783. His experiments are now .publifhed in Rozier 9 s 
Journal for October, 1785. 
The 
