st in the polar regions, and the celebrated scientific
navigator Scoresby studied them there with great attention during his
various arctic voyages. He made drawings of ninety-six different forms,
and the number has been increased since, by more recent observers, to
several hundred.

It will be observed that all the forms have a hexagonal character. They
consist of a star of six rays, or a plate of six angles. There is a
reason for this, or rather there is a well-known property of ice in
respect to the law of its crystallization which throws some light upon
the subject. The law is this: that whereas every crystallizable
substance has its own primitive crystalline form, that of ice is a
rhomboid with angles of 60 deg. and 120 deg., and consequently all the
secondary forms which this substance assumes are controlled by these
angles, and derive from them their hexagonal character.

The most striking of the methods adopted for the inspection of ice
crystals is one discovered by Professor Tyndall, and consists of melting
the ice from _within_. This is done by means of a lens, by which the
sun's rays are brought to a focus within the mass of ice, so as to
liquefy a portion of it in the interior without disturbing that at the
surface.

[Illustration: Bottom Border]

NETTIE'S VALENTINE.

BY AGNES CARR.

"They are all so lovely, I hardly know which to choose," said Nettie
Almer to herself, as she paused at the entrance of a large stationer's
shop to gaze in at the window, where was spread a tempting display of
valentines of all kinds and sizes, from the rich, expensive ones in
handsome embossed boxes to the cheap penny pictures strung on a line
across the entire casement.

"I want them to be the prettiest ones there," continued Nettie to
herself, and she gave her little pocket-book a squeeze inside her muff
as she thought of the bright two dollar and a half gold piece which
Uncle John had given her that morning to spend all for valentines; for
Nettie was invited that evening to a large party, given by one of her
school-mates, and after supper a post-office was to be opened, through
which all her class were to send valentines to each other. Great fun was
anticipated, while at the same time there was considerable rivalry as to
who should send the handsomest missives, and at school nothing else had
been talked of amongst the scholars for a week.

"Please, miss, buy just a little bunch." The words sounded close to