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bushes of evergreens. This there was no doubt of, as I could easily 
discern the difference in the arrangement of the crystals by the help 
of a large magnifying glass which I always carry with me when I go 
from home. I regret I did not take a sketch of the different arrange- 
ment of the crystals ; but not being prepared for such a proceeding, 
and being no hand at sketching, I contented myself with looking 
from one bush to another. And while thus engaged for some time, 
I thought I made an interesting discovery — namely, that while dif- 
ferent bushes presented a different form of crystallisation, the same 
sort of bush presented the same form of crystals. This discovery 
interested me very much — for discovery I deemed it, not having ob- 
served any mention of such a thing in any book on meteorology I 
have seen. Thus, Portugal laurels, laurel bays, laurustinas, different 
sorts of Arbor-vitse, the yew, some of the new pines, presented dif- 
ferent forms of crystals, but the same kind of plant had the same 
form of crystal. This I made sure of by repeated observation in 
different parts of the shrubbery ; and more than that, the size of 
the crystals was about in proportion to the size of the leaves of the 
evergreens. Thus, the crystals in the Portugal laurel, laurel bays, 
and larger leaved kinds of evergreens, were larger than on the leaves* 
of the laurustina, and these latter larger than in those of the yew 
and Arbor-vitse. The crystals, moreover, were not spread over the 
surface of the leaves, but only along their margins ; and the leaves 
above, that were exposed fully to the air, had the crystals — those 
within the bush, or under shelter of the leaves above them, were free 
of all hoar-frost. I may mention that the sun was obscured the 
first day by a frost-fog; the second day was clear, but the crystals 
retained their form where the sun did not strike ; and on the follow- 
ing morning, the whole fairy scene had disappeared. Tall grasses 
and sedges by the side of a lake presented different crystals, but the 
same kind of plant similar forms. The naked branches of trees 
presented similar results 
I am, &c., 
Henry Stephens. 
