43 2 • ingen-housz on the Influence -of the 
Theory of exp. IV. The vegetable threw up very Icon air 
bubbles, becaufe this water, being in its natural Hate, and 
thus fatu rated with air, could not abforb much of the air 
itflnng from the vegetable, which air mutt, of courfe, foon 
rile up in vifible bubbles. A great deal more air was collected 
tnan m exp. I. becaule lefs of the air lfluing from the plant was 
ab for bed by this water than in exp. I. The air obtained was not 
lo good as that obtained in exp. I. ; becaufe the air in this expe- 
riment was fomewhat infefted by the air itf’uing from the 
wat^r, which was but common air. The water iparkled when the 
vcfiel was fhook, becaule this water, though it had probably loft 
fome of its own air, yet had afl'umed a great deal of air from 
the plant *, which air dilengages itfelf from the water very ealily, 
juft as fixed air does; the more fo when the water is moved. 
It Teems, that dephlogillicated air has by no means fuch a flrong attra&ion to 
v.ater, in other words, has not fo much affinity with it, as common air has : it ap- 
pears to be but iooiely united with water, and quits it very enfily by the water being 
fhaken, or even though the water be kept quiet. May not this quality be looked upon 
as a providential one ? for thus the depldogiflicated air, produced by water plants is 
continually emitted by the water, and diffufed through the common flock ; and for 
this reafon the water, when fhook during the day-time, always fparkled as cham- 
pagne ; becaufe at that time the water was always kept faturated by the dephlo- 
gnlicated air, ifluiug continually out of the vegetable. But the water ceafed to 
fparkle, alter having been withdrawn from the fun-fhine during fome hours ; 
becaufe the dephlogillicated air, with which the water was faturated during the 
day-time (fuppofing the apparatus to be kept expofed to the fun) being but loofely 
united with the water, difengaged itfelf gradually from it, and rofe to the top of 
the vcffiel. The fparkhng quality of this water returned after the veffiel had been 
cxpoled afrefh to the fun j becaufe the vegetable, refuming in that expofition its 
daily operation, communicated a frefh fupply of dephlogillicated air to the water. 
T his fparkhng quality returned every day, as long as there remained any life 
an the vegetable; after which the water fparkled no more (though fhook ever fo 
much) either by day or in the night. 
This 
