1 52 Count Ruiviford’s Enquiry concerning the Nature of Heat , 
colder bodies were, in the former case, reflected at the polished 
surface of the metallic vessel ; but, in the latter case, more of 
them were absorbed. 
When a large drop of water rolls about, without being eva- 
porated, upon the flat surface of a piece of red-hot iron, the 
surface of the drop is polished ; and, the calorific rays being 
mostly reflected, the water is very little heated, notwithstanding 
the extreme intensity of the heat of the iron, and its nearness to 
the water. 
If the iron be less hot, the water penetrates the pores of the 
oxide which covers the metal, — -the drop ceases to have a po- 
lished surface, — acquires heat very rapidly, — and is soon eva- 
porated. 
If a drop of water be placed on the clean and polished surface 
of a metal not so easily oxidable as iron, it will retain its sphe- 
rical form and polished surface, under a lower degree of tem- 
perature than on iron ; and consequently will be less heated, and 
less rapidly evaporated by a moderate heat. 
If a large drop of water be put carefully into a clean silver 
spoon, previously heated very hot, (that is to say, so hot as to 
give a loud hissing noise when, touched with the wetted finger, 
but much below the heat of red-hot metal,) the drop will sup- 
port, or rather resist , this heat for a considerable time ; but, after 
the spoon has been suffered to cool down nearly to the tem- 
perature of boiling water, a drop of water put into it will be 
evaporated instantaneously. 
It appears, from the results of these experiments, to be pro- 
bable that, under high temperatures, air is attracted by metals 
so much more strongly than water, that even the weight of a 
drop of water is not sufficient to force away the stratum of air 
