no From Matter to Man. 



constitute the nucleus of an independent snow-flake 

 or the tag-rag and bob-tail of another. It may evolve 

 into a complete geometrical model, or, arrested in its 

 growth, prove only an abortion ; for neither snow- 

 flakes nor men are always perfect. The whole life- 

 history of a snow-flake, in its cycle from elements to 

 elements, is consequently chance — that is, without 

 Creator, Designer or intention on the part of any 

 of the constituents concerned ; the laws being truly 

 irrevocable and fit for their work, but the conditions 

 arbitrary. 



What the laws are we detail in the next chapter. 



Section 3. Arborescent Minerals : 



By arborescent minerals we mean those which 

 mimic vegetals. Arborescent crystallisation is seen 

 in the upbuilding of three varieties of natural pheno- 

 mena, each representing a different aspect of the same 

 productive energy : — 



(1) Ice-ferns on freezing water, frost-ferns on win- 

 dow panes in winter, and similar vegetal outlines left 

 after the evaporation of glauber salts. 



(2) Lead and silver trees. 



(3) Snow-shrubs. 



I. Ice-Ferns, etc. — All illustrations of arborescent 

 crystallisation, as of mineral production generally, 

 reveal a somewhat similar mode of formation — viz., 

 growth by the aggregation of particles without, as 

 distinct from assimilation among the vegetals by the 

 intussusception of particles within. 



