354 Abbe Fontana’s Experiments and 
out faliing upon the ground, as I already felt ray 
frrength failing, and the objects 'appeared confufed be- 
fore my eyes. Into ten cubic inches of this air I intro- 
duced a fmall bird, which, as foon as it began to breathe 
it, made various contortions with its body, and feemed to 
fuller a great deal. It died in ten minutes time; whereas 
another little bird introduced into a like quantity, that 
is, into ten cubic inches of common air, lived in it fifty- 
two minutes, nor did it fhew any fign of uneafinefs be- 
fore it had been in five minutes. 
It remains to be accounted for, why the bird could 
breathe for five minutes longer in the air of the bladder 
that a man could. It will be fufficient to confider, 
that when a man in this experiment has made the laft 
expiration into the bladder, he is in a ftate of pain, and his 
lungs are loaden with a fuperfluous quantity of phlogif- 
ton, which is not communicated to the air of the bladder; 
w'hereas nothing of this takes place with the bird, which, 
befides its being in vigour, has a quantity of common air 
in its lungs. This feemS confirmed by an experiment, 
which admits of no doubt. Having breathed the air of 
the bladder as long as I could, I flopped the neck of the 
bladder with my finger, then breathed the common air 
Several times ; and afterwards putting the neck of the 
fame 
