34 . Mr. de Luc on 
degree to come to its point of extreme moiflure ; the flip, con- 
tinuing to move in the former dire&ion, goes over 20 degrees. 
The phenomena are the fame in the part of the table relating 
to the thermofcopes ; that of water proceeds alfo at firft by great 
fteps, comparatively to that of quickjilver ; after which it relents, 
and while it moves only 3 degrees, and retrogrades 0,5 degree 
to come to the freezing point, the quickjilver one, continuing to 
move in the fame direction, goes over 20 degrees. It was 
from that phenomenon of the water therraofeope that I con- 
cluded formerly, that there was in its march a Jlationary ftate, 
during which the beat decreafed nearly as indicated by the 
quickfllver one ; and that conclufion was afterwards confirmed 
by diredl experiments. From that afeertained fact, I was led 
to conclude, with refpeeft to moifture, that there was alfo a 
Jlationary ftate in the march of hygrofcopic threads , even in 
thofe which had the fmalleft retrogradation , as that of whale- 
bone ; and this theory will be confirmed by the refults of the 
above-deferibed experiment. 
52. The following table contains thofe refults, namely, the 
correfpondent marches of all the mentioned hygrofeopes ; the 
Jhavings increafing in weight , and the flips and threads in length . 
The 3 laft comparative terms do not refult from that particular 
experiment ; for the Jhavings (as I have faid above) they are 
concluded from the former comparative fteps % for the other in- 
ftruments, they have been obtained by obfervations in the 
open damp air. 
Whale- 
