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<br />I <br /> <br />- 108 - <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Aircraft observations showed that the star-like crystals were irregular <br /> <br />a small hexagonal plate at the center of the crystal, <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />the crystals merged as they approached the center so that a large solid center II <br /> <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />in many respects. <br /> <br />A preliminary study was made of the centers of star-like <br /> <br />crystals. <br /> <br />Some had no 'centers at all, that is, the six arms tapered in <br /> <br />thickness and width towards the center and met in a point. <br /> <br />The arms of many of <br /> <br />was observed, <br /> <br />In other cases, the branches of the crystals tapered to meet in <br /> <br />Occasionally, solid <br /> <br />columns we~e observed in the center. <br /> <br />Fairly often, the center appeared to be <br /> <br />simply an irregular piece of <br /> <br />ice, <br /> <br />Of the many star-like crystals studied, very <br /> <br />few were c..bserved to have frozen drops at their centers or double growth, <br /> <br />Many combinations were observed: <br /> <br />frozen drops with no double growth, double <br /> <br />growth but no frozen drops, and crvstals with double growth and a frozen drop <br /> <br />at the center. <br /> <br />Further studies are needed to investigate the causes of these <br /> <br />different centers. <br /> <br />The shapes, lengths, and widths 'of the branches on star-like crystals <br /> <br />varied considerably even within the same crystal. Perhaps the most symmetric <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />crystal was the stellar (Pld) with long slender arms. Many crystals with <br /> <br />sector-like branches~ broad branches, and even stellars, had many peculiaritiesl <br /> <br />and irregularities within the crystal. Very few dendrites and fern-like <br /> <br />crystals collected at ground level had six identical branches. The atmospheric I <br /> <br />conditions which accentuate these irregularities are not known. <br /> <br />Star-like crystals varied considerably in size. Aircraft observations <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />indicated that dendritic and fern-like crystals were the largest of all star- <br /> <br />like crystal types, with diameters up to 4500 ~m. Ground observations <br /> <br /> <br />indicated that dendrites were the most numerous of the individual crystals II <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />I <br />