CHAPTER XVII 

 Snow and Window-Pane Crystals 



THERE are times when the cold is so keen, 

 that it is not necessary to place snow under 

 the microscope in order to see its beauty, for the 

 crystals can be discerned with unassisted vision. 

 This is, however, not of frequent occurrence. Water 

 is a mineral, and whether it appears as snow, ice, or 

 hail, it must obey certain laws. One of these laws is 

 that it must assume certain definite shapes when it is 

 deprived of its heat. Therefore, with other minerals, 

 it obeys the law of crystallisation. Each crystal and 

 each face of each crystal is inclined towards its 

 neighbour at certain definite angles, and cannot take 

 up any other position. 



Snow is ice, only it is in a minute form, so thin, 

 indeed, that it comes down gently, floating about 

 on the breeze, and not suddenly, like hail. One can 

 hardly imagine that snow is ice, for the latter is so 

 heavy and compact compared with the former. The 

 former, too, is much whiter than ice ; but if we pound 

 ice into small granules it becomes as white as snow. 



