Congelation of Quiclfifoer in England. 
’whether of a brittle metal or of the earths, as in balls of cah 
careous ftaladlite. The folid brittle mercury in the prefont 
inftance bore a very exa£t refomblance, both in colour and 
plated ftru&ure, to fulphurated antimony, and efpecially to 
the radiated fpecimens from Auvergne, before they are at all 
tarnifhed. 
Inftead of a folid center to this ball, it feemed as if there 
had been a central cavity, of about two lines in diameter, a 
confiderable portion of which was evident in the fragment juft 
defcribed, at that part to which the radii converged. It is 
indeed poffible, that this may have been merely the receptacle 
of fome part of the mercury remaining fluid at the center* 
The hollow within was fhining, but its edges were neither 
foft nor mouldering ; on the contrary, they were (harp and 
well defined : nor was the brilliancy of the radii attributable to 
any exudation of mercury as from an amalgam. 
In the two fmaller bulbs, which were only half filled, the 
mercury preferved its ufual luftre on the furface in contaft with 
the glafs, as well as on that furface which it had acquired in 
becoming folid. The latter was occupied by a conical depref- 
lion, the gradations of which were marked by concentric 
lines. 
One of thefe hemifpheres was ftruck with a hammer, as in 
the former inftance, but was rather flattened and cruftied than 
broken. The other, on being divided with a lharp chiflel, 
fhewed a metallic fplendour on its cut furface, but not equal- 
ling the polilh of a globule of fluid mercury.’ 5 
Thirteen ounces of fnow in the whole were found to have 
been added to the mixed acids ; but fome was added to lower 
its temperature after the glaffes containing the mercury were 
taken out, and the fpirit thermometer had rifen a few degrees. 
Vol. LXXIX. I i This 
