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XXIX. Additional Observatiofis on Hail, and on the Organic 

 Bodies contained in Hailstones, S)X. jBy Augustus Wal- 

 ler, M.D* 



[With a Plate.] 



IN a preceding Number of this Journal (August 184'6) I 

 have stated the results of a microscopic observation of 

 hailstones previous to their fusion, and likewise of the water 

 resulting from them. It was then found that this water con- 

 tained particles of different shapes, which from their nucleated 

 structure, globular form, and general appearance, were evi- 

 dently of an organized nature. Since making these observa- 

 tions I have had an opportunity of repeating them, which 

 occurred on the 1st of August, when London and the country 

 in general were visited by that tremendous storm which has 

 been the occasion of so much damage. 



Aug.l. — In my neighbourhood (Kensington) there occurred 

 several falls of rain, which continued, with a few intervals, 

 from about 4 p.m. to late in the evening : the fall of water was 

 accompanied with frequent peals of thunder and flashes of 

 lightning. With the drops of water particles of hail wei'e oc- 

 casionally found, which rarely reached the size of a bean. No 

 damage was done to the hot-houses in this locality. One of 

 these hailstones, perfectly white, when examined under the 

 microscope in the ordinary way, presented the usual appear- 

 ance of being composed of minute particles of ice, some sphe- 

 rical, others of a more irregular shape, and numerous bubbles 

 of air escaped as it melted. The organized substances con- 

 tained in the drop of water which resulted were numerous. 

 Most of them were of an irregular shape with angular outlines. 

 Others were globular ; and some of these were completely 

 black, with a nucleus in the centre. With higher magnifying 

 powers v/ere seen green globules about joVo'-^ ^^ ^" ^^^^ ^^ 

 diameter, which were either collected in clusters or adherent 

 together in single lines, like the beads of a rosary, as repre- 

 sented in fig. 1 of my former paper on hail. 



In order to preserve the drop of water for a leisure exami- 

 nation free from dust in the atmosphere, I placed it in a little 

 apparatus nearly air-tight, which will be described hereafter. 



Aiig. 2. — The drop of water thus secured and left under 

 the microscope was found unaltered in size, but the orga- 

 nized matter had entirely altered its appearance. Some 

 of the organized particles had given off filaments in various 

 directions, as represented in Plate I.t» presenting the ap- 



• Communicated by tiic Author. 



t The magnifying powers under which the objects are represented in 

 this plate are as follows : — h'ig. 1. magnified 300 diameters, fig. 2, 200 dia- 

 mctcri), and fig. 3, 300 diameters. 



