[ 232 j 
the water into the receiver, in which it floated on 
the cork. In this air it lived for an hour in great 
cafe, breathing with freedom, and diverting itfelf, 
while wet, w'ith drying its face and head with its 
paws, like a cat. After having thus lived an hour 
in this clofe prifon, it was taken out of it, thro’ the 
water, by the fame way that it had been conveyed in, 
and did not feem to have received any harm by this 
confinement, and by palling thro the water ; as after 
twenty-four hours, by the help of proper food, it 
was found as lively and adlive as it was before it had 
been thus treated. 
§ 2. A fmall bird, viz. a green wagtail, being 
treated in the fame manner, continued for an hour 
in the receiver in the fame quantity of frefh air. It 
breathed three quarters of that time with great eafe, 
but, towards the end of the hour, quicker, and with 
fomc ftruggle. Soon after it was taken out, it grew 
lively, and again breathed with the fame freedom as 
before the experiment. 
Our countryman Mayow afierts, that a fourteenth 
part of the air, in which thefe fmall animals are con- 
fined, is confumed by them before they expire. His 
experiments merit to be further verified. The ex- 
periments here related, which differ in feveral refpeds 
from thofe of Dodfor Mayow, feemed neceffary, in 
order to flaew that thefe fmall animals can live corn- 
mod ioufly, for a confiderable time, clofely confined 
in the above-mentioned quantity of pure air; and 
that they fuffer no harm in paffing into and out 
of the receiver. 
By the way, I beg leave to remark, that by filling 
vials with dry fand, infiead of water, here uled, and 
emptying 
