. The ocean [microform]. Marine biology; Marine animals; Marine plants; Biologie marine; Faune marine; Flore marine. f^l 1 <\'. ,i' ' !.' if. 130 THE OCEAN. the night, the rigging of the ship was most splen- didly decorated with a fringe of delicate crystals. The general form of these was that of a feather having half of the vane removed. Near the surface of the ropes was first a small direct line of very white particles, constituting the stem or shaft of the feather; and from each of these fibres, in another plane, proceeded a short delicate range of spiculse or rays, discoverable only by
. The ocean [microform]. Marine biology; Marine animals; Marine plants; Biologie marine; Faune marine; Flore marine. f^l 1 <\'. ,i' ' !.' if. 130 THE OCEAN. the night, the rigging of the ship was most splen- didly decorated with a fringe of delicate crystals. The general form of these was that of a feather having half of the vane removed. Near the surface of the ropes was first a small direct line of very white particles, constituting the stem or shaft of the feather; and from each of these fibres, in another plane, proceeded a short delicate range of spiculse or rays, discoverable only by the help of a microscope, with which the elegant texture and systematic con- struction of the feather were completed. Many of these crystals, possessing a perfect arrangement of the different parts corresponding with the shaft, vane, and rachis of a feather, were upwards of an inch in length, and three-fourths of an inch in breadth. Some consisted of a single flake or feather; but many of them gave rise to other feathers, which sprang from the surface of the vane at the usual angle. There seemed to be no limit to the magni- tude of these feathers, so long as the producing cause continued to operate, until their weight be- came so great, or the action of the wind so forcible, that they were broken off, and fell in flakes to the deck of the ; * In our own winters we are familiar enough with snow; but, probably, few are aware of the exceeding beauty, regularity, and delicacy which mark each in- dividual crystal of this production. In our climate, indeed, the temperature during a fall of snow is rarely low enough for the form of the crystals to be perceived ; as they become slightly melted in passing * Arct. Reg. i. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Gosse, Philip Henry, 1810-1888. L
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectmarineanimals, bookye
