Received February 4, 1768. 
VIII. Obfervations on the fame SubieSi , by 
J. Short, F. R. S. 
Read March 3 >TN the year 1738, I bought of Mr. 
jf Scarlet a diagonal barometer. On 
the upright part of this barometer is affixed a fpirit 
of wine thermometer, faid to have been made accord- 
ing to the fcale of the Royal Society’s thermometer. 
On Tuefday, the 25th of December 1739, the great 
froft of that and the fucceeding year began. On 
Saturday the 19th of December, at one o’clock in the 
afternoon, I obferved that the fpirits of wine were de- 
fended fo low as not to be feen, that is to fay, were 
below the top of the wood which covers the ball of 
the thermometer. I had another thermometer of 
quickffiver, made alfo after the fcale of the Royal 
Society’s thermometer : I found that the quickffiver 
of it was funk within the ball. This laft thermo- 
meter has been broke many years ago. The fpirit 
of wine thermometer I have ft ill in my poffieffion, 
in the fame condition it was then. This thermo- 
meter flood then, as it does now, within a room next 
to the river, at tne greatefl diftance from two win- 
dows, one of which looks South, the other Weft. 
The wind blew hard from the Eaft on the 29th 
c of 
