KARAKORAM STONES, OR SYRINGOSPELERHLE. 17 



Sections of the body tangentially show a vast number of small circular radial systems, 

 surrounded by encircling interradial tube-structures (Plate III, Fig. 5). The tubes are for the 

 most part seen cut across, and the radial are very small, few in number, and are wide ' apart. 

 The surrounding mass of tubes consists of those of large caliber, often with minute off- 

 shoots to the radial series, and usually very varied in shape and size on account of their gyrose, 

 varicose, rapidly bending course, of their inosculating and bifurcating, and of the necessary 

 obliquity of their section. They are close and crowded. Both series have the tube-wall 

 developed and thin, and the radial tubes are usually v T inch in diameter, the others measuring 

 usually not much less than -3 inch. The section gives the appearance of a multitude of 

 stars by transmitted light, the centre of each being most distinct and occupied by the radial 

 tubes. These combined series do not increase much in their size from within outwards, and 

 they are -^ inch across. The interradial tubes of one system communicate with those of the 

 neighbours, and with the surrounding radial series sometimes. The sections of some of the 

 interradial tubes present a flask-shaped outline, and this arises from the radial tubes or the 

 interradial now and then giving off very delicate tubes of connection. 



The sections made radially present a totally different appearance to those just described. 



A little way below the surface a series of nearly equal parallel systems of tubes is seen ; 

 one set of tubes is closely crowded, and they are close, large, swell out here and there, bend, 

 bifurcate, and give off minute offshoots. The other consists of a few wide-apart, narrow, 

 not over-straight, tubes which give off tubes of their own size or a little smaller to each other 

 and to the larger tubes of the set at their side. The larger set is the interradial system, seen, 

 longitudinally or radially, and the smaller by its side is a radial system. Next comes another 

 interradial system, about as broad as the radial one thus included, or perhaps a little broader ; 

 (Plate III, Eig. 6). 



When the radial section is examined, close below and at the surface, the large tubes of 

 the interradial systems are seen in lines, with the smaller radial ones parallel with them. 



The height of the body is 2 T 3 7 inches, and the breadth nearly 3 inches. 



