MACROBIUS.—This, with a companion ring on the W., is a very beautiful object under a low sun. It is 42 miles in diameter, and is encircled by a bright, regular, but complex border, some 13,000 feet in height above the floor. Its crest is broken on the E. by a large brilliant crater, and its continuity is interrupted on the N. by a formation resembling a large double crater, which is associated with a number of low rounded banks and ridges extending some distance towards the N.W., and breaking the continuity of the glacis. The W. wall is much terraced, and on the N.W. includes a row of prominent depressions, well seen when the interior is about half illuminated under a rising sun. The central mountain is of the compound type, but not at all prominent. The companion ring, Macrobius C, is terraced internally on the W., and the continuity of its N. border broken by two depressions. There is a rill-valley between its N.E. side and Macrobius.
CLEOMEDES.—A large oblong enclosure, 78 miles in diameter, with massive walls, varying in altitude from 8000 to 10,000 feet above the interior. The most noteworthy features in connection with the circumvallation are the prominent depressions on the W. wall. Under a rising sun, when about one-fourth of the floor is in shadow, three of these can be easily distinguished, each resembling in form the analemma figure. There are two other curious depressions at the S.W. end of the formation. On the dark steel-grey floor are two irregular dusky areas, and a narrow but bright central mountain, on which, according to Schmidt, stand two little craters. There are two ring-plains on the S.W. quarter, and a group of three associated craters on the N. side, one of which (A) Schroter believed came into existence after he commenced to observe the formation, a supposition that has been shown by Birt and others to be very improbable.
TRALLES.—A large irregular crater, one of the deepest on the visible surface of the moon, situated on the N.E. wall of Cleomedes. There is a crater on its N. wall, and, according to Schmidt, some ridges and three closely associated craters on the floor.
BURCKHARDT.—This object, situated on an apparent extension of the W. wall of Cleomedes, is 35 miles in diameter, with a lofty border, rising on the E. to an altitude of nearly 13,000 feet. It has a prominent central mountain and some low ridges on the floor, which, together with two minute craters on the S.W. wall, I have seen under a low angle of morning illumination. It is flanked both on the E. and W. by deep irregular depressions, which present the appearance of having once been complete formations.
GEMINUS.—A fine regular ring-plain, 54 miles in diameter, nearly circular, with bright walls, rising on the E. to a height of more than 12,000 feet, and on the opposite side to nearly 16,000 feet above the floor. Their crest is everywhere very steep, and the inner slope is much terraced. There is a small but conspicuous mountain in the interior; N. of which I have seen a long ridge, where Schmidt shows some hillocks. Two fine clefts are easily visible within the ring, one running for some distance on the S.E. side of the floor, mounting the inner slope of the S.W. border to the summit ridge (where it is apparently interrupted), and then striking across the plain in a S.W. direction. Here it is accompanied for a short distance by a somewhat coarser companion, running parallel to it on the N. The other cleft occupies a very similar position on the N.W. side of the floor at the inner foot of the wall. On several occasions, when observing this formation and the vicinity, I have been struck by its peculiar colour under a low evening sun. At this time the whole region appears to be of a warm light brown or sepia tone.
BERNOUILLI.—A very deep ring-plain on the W. side of Geminus. Under evening illumination its lofty W. wall, which rises to a height of nearly 13,000 feet above the floor, is conspicuously brilliant. This formation exhibits a marked departure from the circular type, being bounded by rectilineal sides. The inner slope of the W. wall is slightly terraced. The border on the S. is much lower than elsewhere, as is evident when the formation is on the evening terminator. On the N. is the deep crater Messala a.
NEWCOMB.—The most prominent of a group of formations standing in the midst of the Haemus Mountains. Its crest is nearly 12,000 feet above the floor, on which there are some hills.
MESSALA.—This fine walled-plain, nearly 70 miles in diameter, is, with its surroundings, an especially interesting object when observed under a low angle of illumination. Its complex border, though roughly circular, displays many irregularities in outline, due mainly to rows of depressions. The best view of it is obtained when the W. wall is on the evening terminator. At this phase, if libration is favourable, the manifold details of its very uneven and apparently convex floor are best seen. On the S.W. side is a group of large craters associated with a number of low hills, of which Schmidt shows five; but I have seen many more, together with several ridges between them and the E. wall. I noted also a cleft, or it may be a narrow valley, running from the foot of the N.W. wall towards the centre. On the floor, abutting on the N.E. border, is a semicircular ridge of considerable height, and beyond the border on the N.E. there is another curved ridge, completing the circle, the wall forming the diameter. This formation is clearly of more ancient date than Messala, as the N.E. wall of the latter has cut through it. Where Messala joins Schumacher there is a break in the border, occupied by three deep depressions.
SCHUMACHER.—A large irregular ring-plain, 28 miles in diameter, associated with the N. wall of Messala, and having other smaller rings adjoining it on the E. and N. The interior seems to be devoid of detail.
HOOKE.—Another irregular ring-plain, 28 miles in diameter, on the N.E. of Messala. There is a bright crater of considerable size on the S.W., which is said to be more than 6000 feet in depth, and, according to Neison, is visible as a white spot at full. There is a smaller crater on the slope of the N.W. wall.