IV.] 



SNOW AND ICE. 



6l 



formed snow-flake is, in fact, an exquisite little crystal ; but 

 it commonly happens that a flake is made up of several of 

 these crystals grouped together. Some idea of the beauty 

 and variety of snow-crystals may be formed by reference to 

 Fig. 1 6, which represents a few of the shapes observed by 



Fig. i6. — Snow-cr>'stals 



Captain Scoresby in the Arctic Regions. More than a 

 thousand different kinds have been described ; but various 

 as these are, they are all characterized by the same kind of 

 symmetry. Some of these snow-crystals are simply solid 

 rods or flat scales, each with six sides ; others are six-sided 

 pyramids, but the most common form is that of little 



