184 OUTDOOR STUDIES 
but the slightest atmospheric changes may alter 
the whole condition of the deposit, and decide 
whether it shall sparkle like Italian marble, or 
be dead-white like the statuary marble of Ver- 
mont,— whether it shall be a fine powder 
which can sift through wherever dust can, or 
descend in large woolly masses, tossed like 
mouthfuls to the hungry earth. 
The most remarkable display of crystalliza- 
tion which I have ever seen was on the 13th of 
January, 1859. There had been three days of 
unusual cold, but during the night the weather 
had moderated, and the mercury in the morn- 
ing stood at +14°. About two inches of snow 
had fallen, and the trees appeared densely 
coated with it. It proved, on examination, that 
every twig had on the leeward side a dense row 
of miniature fronds or fern-leaves executed in 
snow, with a sharply defined central nerve, or 
midrib, and perfect ramification, tapering to a 
point, and varying in length from half an inch 
to three inches. On every post, every rail, and 
the corners of every building, the same spec- 
tacle was seen ; and where the snow had accu- 
mulated in deep drifts, it was still made up of 
the ruins of these fairy structures. The white, 
enamelled landscape was beautiful, but a close 
view of the details was far more so. The crys- 
tallizations were somewhat uniform in struc- 
