the furnace MMNN, in such a manner that the extremity of its neck E might be inserted under a bell-glass FG, placed in a trough of quicksilver RRSS; I introduced four ounces of pure mercury into the matrass, and, by means of a syphon, exhausted the air in the receiver FG, so as to raise the quicksilver to LL, and I carefully marked the height at which it stood by pasting on a slip of paper. Having accurately noted the height of the thermometer and barometer, I lighted a fire in the furnace MMNN, which I kept up almost continually during twelve days, so as to keep the quicksilver always almost at its boiling point. Nothing remarkable took place during the first day: The Mercury, though not boiling, was continually evaporating, and covered the interior surface of the vessels with small drops, at first very minute, which gradually augmenting to a sufficient size, fell back into the mass at the bottom of the vessel. On the second day, small red particles began to appear on the surface of the mercury, which, during the four or five following days, gradually increased in size and number; after which they ceased to increase in either respect. At the end of twelve days, seeing that the calcination of the mercury did not at all increase, I extinguished the fire, and allowed the vessels to cool. THe bulk of air in the body and neck of the matrass, and in the bell-glass, reduced to
