Micrographia Restaurata, & c

These Stems in the same Flake are commonly of the same Make exactly, but different in different Flakes ; infomuch that, our Author says, he has observed above an hundred different Forms and Sizes of these Star-like Flakes fallen in a very little Time.

The Branchings out from every Stem in the same Flake are so exactly alike, that only by observing the Configuration of any one Stem, one may know certainly the Figures of the other Side ; the Branchings are likewise generally similar to those in srozen Urine before described.

We have here before us six and twenty Representations of the Flakes of Snow, of diffe- rent Shapes and Sizes, as they appear to the naked Eye. DES CARTES, Dr. GREW, Mr. MORTON, Dr. LANGWITH, and some others, have also given us many of their Star-like Forms ; and Dr. STOCKE of Zealand lately communicated to the Royal Society several Figures observed and drawn by him, but differing very little from those of Dr. HOOKE

Some of these Figures are printed in Phil, Trans? Numb. 464.

.

PLATE V. FIG. 3. A Flake of Snow magnified

THE Flakes of Snow,

A Flake of Snow mag- nified.

examined by a Microscope, do not appear so perfectly regu- lar and exact as might be expected ; but, like Works of Human Art, the more they are magnified, the more mishapen and rude they seem ; of which the Figure be- fore us is a Specimen. This, however, is not owing to any Defect or Irregularity in their Formation, but to the unequal Thawing, or breaking of them as they fall : for I make no doubt, if it were possible to get a Sight of them through a Microscope as they are gene- rated in the Clouds, and before their Figures are prejudiced by external Accidents, we should find them curiously beautiful, exact, and perfect.

PLATE V. FIG. 4. The Form of Ice on Water

FAIR Water being exposed to the Cold in a capacious Vessel of Glass,

An Icicle.

after a little time, several broad, flat, and thin Laminæ or Plates of Ice were observed on the Surface, crossing the Water and each other very irregularly. Most of them seemed to turn one of their Edges towards that Side of the Glass next it, and to grow as it were inwards towards the Middle of the Vessel.

Some of these Laminæ being taken out of the Water on the Blade of a Knife, were found to be figured after the Manner of Herring-Bones, or the Branches of Fern ; hav- ing in the Middle one larger Stem, like the Back-Bone, and issuing out of it on either Side Multitudes of small Icicles, like the smaller Bones, or the smaller Branches in Fern. Each of these Icicles was parallel to all the rest on the same Side, and all of them appeared to make an Angle with the Stem of about sixty Degrees.

PLATE V. FIG. 5. Ice on Marble

A Little Water exposed to the Cold on a broad flat Marble,

Ice.

exhibited, when frozen, a very pretty Variety of Figures, some like Feathers, others of different Shapes, and many in the Appearance of the Picture here referred to.

PLATE V. FIG. 6. Ice of another Configuration

FLAKES of Ice frozen on the Top of Water to any considerable Thickness,

Ice.

were found, on Examination, to have both their Upper and Under-Sides curiously quill'd, furrow'd, or grained, which the Sun shining thereon shewed to be, as in the Drawing, several strait Ends of parallel Plates, of divers Lengths and Angles to one another, without any certain Order.