The principle on which it is constructed may be explained in a few words, without going into a scientific or too minute detail of its various parts. The weight of a column of air, which in a common barometer acts on the mercury, in the aneroid presses on a small circular metal box, from which nearly all air is extracted; and to this box is connected, by nice mechanical arrangement, the hand visible over the face of the instrument. When the atmospheric pressure is lessened on the vacuum box, a spring acting on levers, turns the hand to the left, and when the pressure increases, the spring is affected differently, the hand being turned to the right. It acts in any position, but as it _often varies several hundredths with such a change_, it should be held uniformly, while read off. The known expansion and contraction of metals under varying temperatures, caused doubts as to the accuracy of the aneroid under such changes; but they were partly removed by introducing into the vacuum box a small portion of gas, as a compensation for the effects of heat or cold. The gas in the box, changing it bulk on a change of temperature, was intended to compensate for the effect on the metals of which the aneroid is made. Besides which, a further and more, reliable compensation has lately been effected by a combination of brass and steel bars.[35] METALLIC barometers (in _outer_ shape and size like aneroids) have not yet been tested adequately in very moist, hot, or cold air for a sufficient time. They, as well as sympiesometers, are likewise dependent or secondary instruments, and liable to deterioration. For limited employment, when sufficiently compared, they may be very useful, especially in a few cases of electrical changes not foretold or shown by mercury. The SYMPIESOMETER is considered to be more sensitive than the marine barometer, falling sooner, and rising earlier: but this is partly in consequence of the marine barometer tube being contracted, to prevent oscillation or "pumping." In the sympiesometer a gas is used, which presses on the confined surface of the liquid with an uniform pressure at an equal state of temperature. The liquid is raised or depressed by an increase or diminution in the density of the atmosphere, and change of temperature is allowed for, by the sliding scale of the instrument being always set to agree with the height of the mercury in the attached thermometer, bringing the _pointer_ on the sliding scale of the sympiesometer to the same degree on the inverted scale (over which it slides) as is indicated by the thermometer. The height of the fluid, as then shown by the sliding scale, indicates the pressure of the atmosphere. As the instrument is delicate, great care should be taken, in carrying or handling, to keep the top always upwards, and to exclude casual rays of the sun, or a fire, or lamp.