Experimental data on solubility, heat and kinetics of dissolution, diffusion and standard potentials of metals in mercury as well as the rate of the electrode process with an amalgam formation, have been collected and selected. A comparison has been made between the measured and predicted solubilities and heats of dissolution. The experimental diffusion coefficients have been analysed according to the simple Sutherland-Einstein equation; the average composition of diffusing particles in diluted amalgams have been estimated. The linear dependence between the logarithm of the rate constant of aquo-ion electroreduction on mercury and the metal solubility in mercury has been confirmed. No correlation of the dissolution rate of metals in mercury has been found.