behaved in exactly the same way.

+86. Fourth Experiment.+--I placed some peas in a small flask, which was
capable of holding 24 ounces of water, and poured so much water upon
them that they were half covered with it; I then closed the flask. The
peas began to strike roots, and grew up. As I found after 14 days that
they would not increase further, I opened the flask, inverted, under
water, and found the air neither increased nor diminished. The fourth
part, however, was absorbed by milk of lime, and the remaining air
extinguished flame. I kept fresh roots, fruits, herbs, flowers, and
leaves, each by itself, in the flask, and after a few days I likewise
observed the fourth part of the air converted into aerial acid. If flies
are placed in such air they die immediately.

+87.+ These are accordingly strange circumstances, that the air is not
noticeably absorbed by animals endowed with lungs, contains in it very
little aerial acid, and yet extinguishes fire. On the other hand insects
and plants alter the air in exactly the same way, but still they convert
the fourth part of it into aerial acid. Accordingly I was curious to
know whether the fire-air was not that which was here converted into
aerial acid, because in these latter experiments just as much of the air
was converted into aerial acid as there was of fire-air present in it.

+88. Fifth Experiment.+--In a bottle of 20 ounces capacity, I mixed one
part of fire-air with 3 parts of the preceding air in which peas would
not any longer grow, and from which the aerial acid was separated. (That
is to say, I filled the bottle with water, and placed 4 peas in it; I
then allowed one fourth of the water to run into the bladder in which
fire-air was contained, and the remainder into another bladder in which
this vitiated air was contained (Sec. 30, _g._), while I took care that the
peas did not fall into the bladder. I also left so much water behind,
that the peas were half covered with it.) Here also I observed the peas
growing up, and after they would not increase any more I found this air
likewise not absorbed, but almost the fourth part was absorbed by milk
of lime. Hence it is the fire-air which is here converted into aerial
acid. In 3 parts of aerial acid and one part of fire-air peas do not
grow. I mixed vitiated air (Sec. 20) with fire-air which behaved in just
the same way: that is to say the fire-air was converted into aerial
acid.

+89. Sixth Experiment.+