1 408 ] 
which evaporates* It is fuddenly wetted, when the 
humor is fo condenfed as to become water, becaufe 
the evaporation which takes place at the furface of 
the water,, does not weaken, its a&ion on the bodies 
dipped into it ; it is only wetted little by little, or, 
what happens ofteneft, in part, when the humor is 
difcrete or reduced into vapour; becaufe,. while it is 
depofited on particular fpots, it evaporates from the 
interftitial. parts, and that more or lefs according 
to the date of the air, and that of the moiftened 
bodies. 
1 2. This difference, however, in point of time, 
between the adion of concrete and difcrete humor, 
only takes place on the furface of bodies, or at a fmall 
depth ; it diminifhes, and may even become oppo- 
hte, as the depth of bodies increafes, becaufe the 
difcrete humor is then, more eafily introduced into 
their pores than water,, which more than makes up 
for their different intenfity. 
13. This confideration folves a difficulty, which 
at firft puzzled me. I had been told by bird- 
catchers, that the threads of thofe nets which they 
caff on the water-lide, were lefs ffretched from the 
adion of water than of dew. Hence it might feem, 
that what I took for the extreme of humor had lefs 
effed than what is only a degree of it. But two 
particular cattles accounted for this difference. 
iff. The air contained within the fibres of the 
thread oppofes the introdudion of the water, which, 
prefenting itfelf in a body, fhuts up the paffages by 
which the air fhould efcape to give it room; but it 
yields to the drops of dew, which permit its efcape 
while they penetrate through the threads. 
2d, Another 
