39 2 D - blagde'n’s Hiftory of 
“ about i 30 degrees below o. This experiment I repeated fe- 
64 veral times with fuccefs, but obferved the following differ- 
64 ence, that if 1 had not kept the thermometer in the heat long 
enough for the quickfilver to begin to rife again after it had 
44 funk into the ball, it never afcended above the 130th degree 
“ by continuing in the cold, but upon being carried back into 
44 the warm room it contracted hill more in the ball by a quan- 
44 tity which, however vifible, could not be meafured. On 
44 the other hand, if the inftrument had been kept in the room 
44 till the mercury had rifen above - 54°, it became Stationary 
“ at that degree in the open air. Now, though I did not, on 
44 the 1 ft of January, bring the thermometer within doors be- 
44 fore it had funk of itfelf to - 116% yet this fall likewife 
44 feems to have been occasioned by the change to milder wea- 
44 ther which was then taking place. For at eight in theeven- 
44 ing, when the external cold was at - 3 1 °, I found that hoar-- 
44 froft formed on the ball and ftem of the thermometer as be- 
44 fere, upon its being brought into a warm room; but the 
44 mercury did not fink, on the contrary it began immediately 
44 to rife. 
44 Some quadrupeds perilhed by the intenfe cold, and a great 
44 number of fmall birds were found dead. Neverthelefs, the 
44 people did not neglect going to church 011 this high holiday, 
44 and I have not heard that any one was froft-bitten who went «■ 
44 out with proper cloathing.” 
M. tornsten certainly judged right when he concluded, 
that the fall of the thermometer to — 116 0 rather indicated a 
diminution than an increafe of the cold. Though he knew 
nothing of the caufe, yet his obfervation led him to a juft in- 
ference, in which hedifplayed more fagacity than M. j-iellant 
on afimilar occasion. All the phenomena which fo much perplexed 
thefe 
