234 



NATURE 



[January 9, 1902 



FHorOGRAPHS OF SNOIV CRYSTALS. 



T\/r K. W. A. BENTLEV, of Jericho, Vermont, U.S.A., has 

 ^'^ devoted Iwt-my years to the study of snow crystals, with 

 special referfnce to the relaiion between their forms and the 



with a short description of the methods and conclusions, 



would certainly be of great scientific value. The following 



notes are abridged from his paper in the Monthly IVeallier 

 Review. 



Fig. 



5, February S. Wind i 



igoo, Febr 



atmospheric condition at the time 

 of their fall. He gives in the U.S. 

 Monthly Weather Review a short 

 account of the results of his in- 

 vestigations ; and a number of 

 beautiful reproductions of photo- 

 micrograph.s of snow crystals 

 secured by him accompany his 

 paper. By the courtesy of Mr. 

 Willis L. Moore, chief of U.S. 

 Weather Bureau, we are able to 

 give several of these pictures and 

 an abstract of Mr. Bentley's con- 

 tribution referring to them. So far 

 as we are aware, no more beautiful 

 or complete collection of photo- 

 graphs of snow crystals has ever 

 been obtained than that produced 

 by Mr. Bentley's patient work, and 

 the fact that he has prosecuted his 

 studies in somewhat difticult cir- 



Photographs have been secured 

 during every winter since 18S4, and 

 they now number more than 800, 

 no two alike. Nearly every great 

 and famous winter storm since that 

 date has furnished its quota of from 

 four to twenty (and in one instance 

 thirty-four) of new forms to this 

 collection. .\\ the same time, 

 observations have been made and 

 data secured, while photographing 

 ihem, of the temperature; kinds 

 and appro.ximate heights of clouds 

 (when possible) ; the direction and 

 rapidity of movement of various 

 cloud strata ; the direction and 

 velocity of the surface winds ; also 

 changes in the forms of the crystals 

 form hour to hour as the diflferent 

 portions of each storm passed over 

 the district. The latter ob.=ervations 



cumstances for so long is an excellent testimony to his scientific 

 enthusiasm. We understand that he is preparing a volume 

 upon the photographs, and the results of his studies of them. 

 An album containing prints of all his drawings and photographs, 



FiG. 5.— 188S, March li. Gieat biiziarJ, tcinperalurc 12". Diameter 

 one-quarter of an inch. 



were made to ascertain whether there was any general law of 

 distribution of the forms within the diflerent portions of a 

 storm. Di (Terences in form of crystals depo.sited by local 

 storms from those of general storms were also noted, as also 



NO. 1680, VOL. 65] 



