I. February 25.
At the very start of observations its longitude chanced to be nearly central and it was made out; but so far off was the planet that only its northern part could be detected, because, as afterward appeared, this part was the stronger, the canal being decidedly inconspicuous, whereas other canals, the northern and even the Pallene and the Dis, were strongly marked. At the next presentation the planet was nearer, and details previously hidden for the distance now came out. Among them was the Brontes, which, showing better than in January, could be traced all the way to the Sinus Titanum. A drawing (I) made on February 25 and reproduced in the text shows its appearance at the time. Its emergence under neared conditions only served to accentuate its relative inconspicuousness, for it showed now notably inferior to the northern canals, and this not only in the matter of general visibility, but in the character it displayed. It was a line of hazy definition, contrasting thus with the sharp dark forms of its northern neighbors.
II. March 30.
III. April 3.
As the planet steadily approached the earth, and the canals to the north became better and better seen, the Brontes instead of sharing in the general improvement did exactly the opposite. It grew less visible when it should have grown more so, if distance had been the cause of its appearance. It was now only to be seen at the north, even when it was seen at all; a state of things exemplified in Drawings II and III.
IV. May 4.