WINTER EARTH STUDY. 491 



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Sometimes the viewless mother bids 

 Her ferns kneel down, full in my sight ; 

 I hear the chorus of l Good-night ; ' 

 And half I smile, and half I weep, 

 Listening while they c lie down to sleep.' " 



HELEN HUNT JACKSON. 



ICE. 



Formation. Place shallow pan with very cold water on 

 ledge outside of window, on north side of building if 

 possible, at least where sun does not shine. Let chil- 

 dren observe, through a reading-glass if possible, the 

 forming of the ice crystals. If it is a fairly cold winter 

 day, some time (ten minutes or more) may be required for 

 the formation of crystals. 



A wooden water-pail, nearly filled with finely pounded 

 ice and salt, and covered with a pane of glass, can be used 

 to show in the schoolroom the formation of ice crystals 

 and ice. If a small tin fruit-can and a glass fruit-jar, 

 each filled with ice-water, be placed in the pail, with the 

 ice well packed around each, the tin can will show the 

 formation of the needle-shaped crystals ; and the trans- 

 lucent deposit of ice on the inside of the glass jar will re- 

 veal many forms already seen in the frost, and show that 

 ice is simply thick frost. The children can watch the pro- 

 cess through the pane of glass, removing it occasionally. 

 The ice crystals do not form so readily if the water is 

 jarred or is in motion. 



Have pupils observe and tell about the shape, size, and 

 color of a single needle-like crystal, and compare with the 

 simple frost crystals they may have observed. Watch and 

 tell how the crystals come together and interlace. 



Examine pan of ice which has been on window ledge 

 two or three hours. The tracing of crystals may still be 

 seen on the top, but below it is a compact mass. If pan 



