25 
of the cone, started on its downward descent and encountered 
other particles on its lower face, they will adhere to it, 
however slightly. The mass, therefore, would grow in thick- 
ness downwards ; and as some of the particles would strike 
the face so close to the edge that they would overhang, the 
lower face would continually grow broader, and a conical form 
be given to the mass above. 
When found on the ground the hailstones are generally 
imperfect ; and besides such bruises as may be accounted 
for by the fall, many of them appear to have been imperfect 
before reaching the ground. Such deformities, however, 
may be easily accounted for. 
The larger stones fall faster than those which are smaller, 
and consequently may overtake them in their descent ; and 
then the smaller stones will stick to the larger and at once 
deform them. But besides the deformation caused by the 
presence of the smaller stone, the effect of the impact may 
be to impart a rotary motion to the stone, so that now it 
wiU no longer continue to grow in the same manner as 
before. Hence we have causes for almost any irregularities 
of form in the ordinary hailstone. 
It appears from the numerous accounts which have been 
published that occasionally hailstones are found whose 
form is altogether different from that, described above. 
These, however, are exceptional, and to whatever causes 
they may owe their peculiarities these causes cannot affect 
the stones to which I am referring. 
Again, on careful examination it is seen that the ordinary 
hailstones are denser and firmer towards their bases or 
spherical sides than near the vertex of the cone, which 
latter often appears to have broken off in the descent. 
This also is exactly what would result from the manner 
of formation described above. 
When the particle first starts it will be moving slowly, 
and the force with which the particles impinge upon it will 
be slight and, consequently, its texture loose ; as, however. 
