III. Note on Professor Faraday's recent experiments on 'regelation.'

Abstract

Some time ago, Principal James D. Forbes showed that two slabs of ice, having each a face ground tolerably flat, and being both suspended in an atmosphere a little above the freezing-point upon a horizontal rod of glass passed through two holes in the plates of ice, so that the plates might hang vertically and in contact with one another, would unite gradually so as to adhere strongly together. This interesting experiment Principal Forbes adduced as being in opposition to the theory offered by me of the plasticity of ice, and of the tendency of pieces of thawing ice to unite when placed in contact. He thought it showed that pressure was not essential to the union of the two pieces of ice.