1855] 



CEYSTALS OF SiNTOW DUEING GOLD WEATHEE. 



233 



The average amount did not at any one time exceed a foot in 

 depth; and its density has been of from 8 to 10 inches of fresh 

 fallen to 1 inch of water, which its melting has produced. The 

 drifts have varied from 5 feet to 10 feet. The snow this year 

 has been of that kind which former writers have designated 

 " Polar snow" — it having been chiefly composed of crystallized 

 particles of compound figure, which they supposed to be con- 

 fined, with rare exceptions, to the Arctic regions. This sup- 

 position, however, is not supported by the great prevalence this 

 year of innumerable crystals, which have exhibited a degree of 

 crystalline formation equal to any that have been recorded as 

 seen in colder latitudes. They have been very generally dis- 

 tributed, and, whilst prevalent, attracted a considerable share 

 of pubhc attention. The primary figure or base of each crys- 

 tal was either a star of sis radii or a plane hexagon. The 

 compound varieties included combinations of spioula;, prisms, 

 and laminte, clustered upon and around the radii, and seem, in 

 their various stages of formation, and almost endless variety, 

 to defy any attempt to classify or arrange them into groups. 

 At the commencement of the frost simple stellar forms were 

 very prevalent, and fell in clusters of from 10 to 20 in a group, 

 with a temperature at or about the freezing point. They were 

 observed to fall both during a profound calm, with gusts and 

 hard wind, and frequently unaccompanied v/ith snow. On ex- 

 amination through a Coddington lens, they were found to be 

 composed of transparent spicute, from which diverged other 

 spioulas set upon the main radii of the figure at an angle of G0°. 

 A great number of plane hexagons fell on the morning of 

 February the 8th. Some of these were "of transparent laminaa, 

 beautifully marked with successive and inner tracings. As the 

 morning advanced, they became intermixed with others, set 

 round with solid hexagons, which continued to fall until an 

 hour before noon. For half an hour after several large crystals, 

 of compound figure, fell with the snow. Their centre or 

 nucleus was similar to the compound hexagons of the morning, 

 from which diverged radii laden on either side with prisms, 

 each set on at an angle of 60°. From this time till 4 o'clock 

 few crystals were observed to fall ; but after 4 o'clock, innu- 

 merable crystals, of arborescent form, were discernible. The 

 nucleus of the greater number was a plane hexagon marked 

 with inner parallel tracings, from which sprung radii, each of 

 which intersected a crystalline formation very similar in appear- 

 ance to the pinna; of the Lady Fern. As the evening advanced, 

 these became less prevalent, and were mingled with almost 

 every variety which had previously fallen during the day. 

 Snow continued to fall till late at night, when it lay upon the 

 ground to the depth of 8 inches. The day will long be remem- 

 bered as one of the most keen and inclement of the wintry- 

 period under discussion. The minimum of the preceding 

 night had been 29°-8 ; and throughout the day, the tempera- 

 ture never rose higher than 82°. Snjw fell, without intermis- 

 sion, from early rnorning till late at night. It was acconnjaniod 

 by a piercing wind ; and in the afternoon, when the arborescent 

 form again sot in, it was blowing quite a storm. Traflac on 

 the railways was for a time su.spended, and the day was one of 

 bitter and intense cold. When, says Mr. Glaisher, I went out, 

 at logg past midnight, the snow sparkled everywhere with cry- 

 stals, as granite sparkles with the grains of mica ; cver\' leaf, 

 cobweb, knotty projection and sheltered nook bore its burden 

 of drifted snow and glistening crystals. It was a niglit to be 

 remembered, for the extreme loneliness of Nature arrayed in 

 her most wintry garb. A large number of crystals fell on the 

 mornings of February loth, llJth, and 17th. Some, and th(! 

 great number of them, were aboreseent, in dilVcrent stages of 



formation, with three large alternating, with three small pinnse, 

 studded with prisms and spiculaj, extending on either side of 

 the principal radii. Some exhibited an appearance, towards 

 the end of each pinna, like a tuft of bended leaves, with 

 serrated edges, beautifully white and seemingly opaque. Mr. 

 Glaisher accounts for this appearance by the passage of the 

 cry.stal in its descent through diflerent regions of the atmos- 

 phere, in some one of which it has become partially thawed, 

 and again frozen, in which condition it has been received on 

 the surface of the earth. This conjecture is the more probable 

 as the jagged and serrated appearance is often attendant upon 

 the first thawing of these bodies on entering a temperature 

 above the freezing point. The opaque and white appearance 

 is communicated by a subsequent formation of granulated par- 

 ticles of snow, in all probability attaching to it, whilst in a 

 transition state, in its descent to the earth. This is, however, 

 only a surmise in the absence of any better .solution of the iact. 

 On February the 21st, with a temperature of 20°, there fell 

 for an hour, unaccompanied by snow, a groat variety of intensely 

 beautiful and complicated figures. The radii were encrusted 

 with solids, both of rhomboidal and irregular shape, cut into 

 many facets, and heaped one upon the other. On this morn- 

 ing there were numerous double crystals, that is, two crystals 

 united by an axis, at right angles to the plane of each. They 

 generally fell with their radii intermediate, and the radii of the 

 ujjper somewhat projected beyond the radii of the under 

 crystal. Two days after, that is, on February 2ord, the 

 frost gave way ; but for some few hours in the morning Mr. 

 Glaisher was able to continue his observations. The mornino- 

 was overcast and calm, and snow fell in flakes, accompanied by 

 minute spicuke. Soon after 9 o'clock a change took place, and, 

 mingled with the heavy flakes, there fell a large number of 

 thick snowy crystals. On examining these with a Coddington 

 lens, they were found to consist of an assemblage of prisms, 

 grouped in thick arrangement, and bristling up (if the phrase 

 may be allowed), at all angles, from some invisible nucleus. 

 Some of the prisms were longer than others, but most of them 

 were notched here and there, giving indications of the forma- 

 tion of other prisms or spiculaB. The longer prisms were mid- 

 way in character between the prisms of high crystalline forma- 

 tion and the ordinarj' spicula3. After the lapse of half an-hour, 

 the common flakes were fewer in number, and were accompa- 

 nied with innumerable spicula3. These did not fall separately, 

 but in groups of several, clinging to each other at all angles. 

 They had a fleecy appearance to the naked eye, but under the 

 glass were long and rounded prisms, partaking much of the 

 character of an icicle ; but all notched and tapering to a point. 

 At this time the air was soft and mild, and the snow was fall- 

 ing thickly. At 10/(. oOmiii. the air was still calm, and the 

 snow continued. At this time it was ea.S3- to detect here and 

 there pinnules in an intermediate stage of formation. The 

 spicuke, which were still ialling, were now of greater length, 

 and their figure more perfectly developed. At 11/i. crystals 

 were falling, of great beauty and transparcnc}-, but of simple 

 figure. They were thin and transparent in the higliestdesree, 

 and bore a leafy appearance. Yerj' many of them were double. 

 Whilst observing them they changed their figure in the most 

 curious and kalcido.scopic manner pos-sible, the upper groups 

 of prisms collapsing first, the next in order next, and so on, — 

 the collapsing each time dis-solving three or more prisms into 

 one, a change effected with instantaneous rapidity. This was 

 the first step preparator}' to their dissolving ; the next step was 

 the rounding of every angle that remained ; and the next stop 

 to that the extension and thickening of spicukv, which had 



