65 
Ordinary Meeting, March 4th, 1879. 
J. P. Joule, D.C.L., LL.D,, F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 
Professor Reynolds, F.R.S., exhibited on behalf of Dr. 
Roscoe, F.R.S., two samples of steel, one a piece of tungsten 
steel, the other a piece of crystalline steel presented to Dr. 
Roscoe with the following letter : — 
44, Chorlton St., City, 
February 28th, 1879. 
Dr. Roscoe, B.A. F.R.S. 
Dear Sir, 
I send by bearer a piece of crystalline steel ingot 
made here, melted in the usual way and poured into a metallic 
mould. I consider it a good specimen of its class, in fact the best 
I ever remember seeing. 
When in this crystalline state it is technically called “ struck” 
metal, and requires great care in re-heating and hammering, or else 
it comes to grief. I have seen the interesting and varied collec- 
tion you have for the use of students and send this as an addition 
to the same, the acceptance of which will oblige, 
Yours very respectfully, 
WM. ANN ABLE. 
Professor Reynolds also reported that Mr. W. Watts had 
brought him some stalagmites of ice, of a mushroom shape, 
quite clear, and about an inch in diameter. They were 
found at the bottom of the puddle trench at Denshaw, 
60 feet deep, and 7 feet broad. These stalagmites showed 
that the mushroom shape is the result of being formed from 
spray, and their transparency shows that water spray de- 
posited on ice freezes into solid clear ice and hence confirms 
the view that hailstones are an aggregation of ice particles. 
Proceedings — Lit. &Phil. Soc. — Vol. XVIII. — No. 8 . — Session 1878-9; 
