APPENDIX. 801 



water. In my examinations I detected the perfect hexagonal 

 prismatic formation of every ray, and that the additional rays 

 disposed themselves invariably at angles of 60 and 120 to 

 the primitive six-rayed crystal, followed in succession by 

 others parallel to the main ray, this alternate succession pro- 

 ducing eventually the most complicate and beautiful star. 



One peculiarity prevailed, which I am glad to notice verified 

 by some of those lately exhibited by Mr. Glaisher ; this is, the 

 prolongation of the arms crossing the primary crystal longest 

 on the exterior or lesser angle and shorter within, as may be 

 noticed on the larger crystals of Plate XX. In Plate XIX. it 

 will be seen that my drawing would agree nearly with the 

 small crystal in the corner, and that the prolongation of the 

 secondary additions to Plate XX. on the left would fall nearly 

 into that drawn by me on the spot. 



The means of careful examination of a single radial arm of 

 one inch and a half in length was furnished by bushels of such 

 fragments occurring in the snow furrows. These were noticed 

 during my spring travel of 1853, and it is curious that not 

 more than two were found by me connected. They completely 

 represented the fern-like form noticed by Mr. Glaisher. Du- 

 ring winter, the beams and illuminators of my store-rooms 

 abaft my cabin became incrusted with the condensed vapours 

 in still more perfect aggregations ; and in May, 1854, I had 

 a final opportunity by daylight, under a temperature of 5, 

 of deliberately investigating similar masses of such forms 

 l}eds, as it were, of crystalline ferns taken from the rafters of 

 our Crystal Palace. 



In the crystal which I have endeavoured to exhibit in its 

 simplest change from the primitive, I have adopted merely 

 the initial or secondary spurs. If the observer will add in 

 succession, at similar angles to the primary and secondary, 

 other spurs, in accordance with an outward centrifugal, or 

 explosive, inclination, omitting the inner short arms, he will 

 then be able to form some idea of the most highly finished 

 of Nature's immediate achievements. But these I find do 

 not occur among those noticed in England. Such were my 



