REMARKABLE FORMS OF HAILSTONES. 



421 



cf the drnsy crystals of calcite from Aiidreasberg, can be reconciled 

 v.itli tlie violent atmospheric commotion which we suppose to accom- 

 pany the formation of hail. We say in naturd nihil Jit per saJius, and I 

 believe it. The growing- crystalline mass must have been suspended 

 for a loug time in u very cold stratum of aqueous vapor before it reached 

 the earth. 



[The two subjoined cuts arc copied as closely as possible from the 

 original drawings.] 



I would only add, by 

 way of a hint, to explain 

 what cannot be shovvH by 

 such imperfect drawings, 

 that where the tlat S}>he- 

 roidal forms, resembling 

 specular iron, in the cen- 

 ter of the drawing, exhibit 

 shading, the crystals were 

 not always opaque. The 

 ring surrounding the nu- 

 cleus had a milky appear- 

 ance, owing to small air 

 bubbles, as had the nu- 

 cleus itself in most instan- 

 ces. Many of them, liovr- 

 ever, had a clear nucleus. 

 This could easily be seen 

 next morning, when the 

 stones had all melted 

 down to cakes of about an 

 inch in diameter, occa- 

 sionally taking the shape 

 of a regular hexagon. 

 The milky ring round the 

 central point was clearly 

 distinguishable as a sort 

 of fibrous web com]>ose(l 

 of the finest air cavities 

 traversed by threadlike 

 pores. In some cases tliere 



Actual rcprosontations (of the r.atnral size) of t^vo of thp hail- i-c-na Tirivino- nml flu^k -nn 

 i^toiiea which f<ll in Georgia ou the 9th Juno, 1669, drawii at ^^ ''^^ ." ^^"i^' ''"^^ '•"'- ""' 

 the time by Staatsrath Abich. ClcUS WaS SCmi-Opaque. 



The shading round the border of the large circle is only intended to 

 mark the smooth spheroidal form of the central mass. The actual 

 crystals v.'ere attached parasiticallj' to its edge, or else inserted in a 

 sort of socket, as I found when the stones thawed down. (See a, Fig. 



1.) 



All the stones contained fine air pores, pear-shaped or Morm-like, 

 running from the center to the circumference. The drawings are as 

 near as possible natural size. 



