208 



Marvels of the Universe 



but, judging from the 

 small projections which 

 are left on the figures, 

 originallj- all of them were 

 accurate. 



As regards the branches 

 of the crystals it will be 

 noticed that, as a rule, 

 these come off in pairs, but 

 that sometimes towards 

 the tips of the rays, as 

 seen in the topmost crystal 

 in the plate, only the 

 branch on one side may 

 develop. It is interest- 

 ing to notice, too, what 

 happens when branches 

 coalesce ; and though in 

 the majority of our illus- 

 trations they point out- 

 wards, in certain forms 

 there is a tendency for 

 some of them to grow to- 

 wards the centre. This is 

 indicated to some extent 

 in one or two of the more 

 complicated crystals. 



To the nature-lover and 



the artist, the perfect symmetrical forms have the greatest charm, but to the student of snow 

 crj^stals some of the results which occur through one side of the crj'stal developing in a different 

 waj' from the other have a \'ery special interest, while very curious structures sometimes occur as a 

 result of accident. 



In certain cases parts of the crystals seem to stop growing, and we get apparently three-raj'ed 

 structures, though examination will show, as in the case of the example in the centre of the illus- 

 trations above, that the six rays are there. Then, again, there ma}' be no branches, or very few, 

 and these may occur on one part of a solid cr^'stal, while the other angles remain unaltered, and 

 occasionally we get quite an irregular form showing little of the usual beauty of the snow crj'stal. 

 We have mentioned the stud-like forms, and these consist of a columnar hexagonal crystal with 

 two plate-like crystals, one at each end. 



One aspect of the subject must not be overlooked Lace-makers and designers of all kinds 

 are often desirous of obtaining new patterns, and they could not do better than to examine and take 

 advantage of Mr. Bentley's pictures of snow crystals. No doubt they would find some of them too 

 elaborate to reproduce, but others could be modified, while the simpler ones in many cases might 

 be adopted as they stand. 



The whole subject of inorganic growth is at present of particular interest owing to the strange 

 forms which have recently been obtained by the depositing of inorganic matter out of solutions 

 and the suggestion which has been made that, after aU, the bodies of plants and animals owe some 

 of their shapes and development to the laws which govern inorganic matter and are not dependent 

 upon the intervention of what we call life, though its meaning is still beyond our ken. 



An 



S.NOW CRYSTALS. 



assemblage of varied forms. The central e.xample differs widely from tke others, but 

 s adherence to the si.x-rayed type is manifest, though the rays are not equidistant. 



