;ii Dr. blagden’s Hiftory of 
from a (olid to a fluid date, and very poflibly was lb upon this 
inftrument, a difference of feveral degrees being often found in 
thermometers fo low down on the fcale as - 40°, from inaccu- 
racies in their conftru&ion. 
The cryflallization of quickfilver, alfo, became manifeft on 
this occafion. Hence, when hammered out thin, it (hewed a 
granulated texture. The branched wrinkles too, which formed 
on its fur face whilfi it was congealing, could lcarcely have 
proceeded from any other caufe, and fugged: a general idea of 
the manner in which it (hoots. That quickfilver fhould cry- 
dailize fo much more vifibly than mod other metals, will not 
appear furprifing, if we conlider how little the cold is below 
its freezing point. Such fubdances as require, in order to 
melt, a degree of heat much above that of our atmofphere, 
experience fo great a change of temperature upon being taken 
off the Are, that they become folid haflily, and as it were in 
condition ; whereas quickfilver, having never probably been ex- 
poled to a degree of cold much exceeding that of its melting 
point, its particles have „ had full leifure to arrange themfelves 
regularly, in exact conformity to the laws of their mutual 
attractions. As in Profeflbr blumenbacii’s and Mr. Hutchins’s 
experiments, fo here, I imagine, fome flight roughnefs of the 
fur face was occalioned by this cryflallization ; in confequence 
of which M. pallas compared his frozen quickfilver to tin, 
rather than to bright diver, the appearance it always aflumes 
when congealed in fmooth glafs. 
Another property of quickdlver, very important to be 
known, was obferved perhaps no where fo didinctly as on this 
occafion at Krafnoyarfk ; T mean its tendency to adhedon in 
freezing. Thus, Dr. pall as fays the fragments of the con- 
gealed mafs duck to one another, and to the bowl in which 
they 
