SAUSSURE.—A ring-plain W. of Tycho, 28 miles in diameter, with bright lofty terraced walls and a somewhat dark interior, on which there is a crater, W. of the centre, and some crater-pits. There are several large depressions on the S.W. wall. It is surrounded by formations which, though nearly as prominent as itself, have not, with the exception of Pictet on the E., and one on the N.W., called Huggins by Schmidt, received distinctive names. The region W. of Saussure abounds in craterlets, some of which are of the minutest type. One of the Tycho streaks is manifestly deflected from its course by this formation, and another is faintly traceable on the floor.
PICTET.—A walled-plain of irregular shape, about 30 miles across, between Saussure and Tycho, with a border broken on the S. by a large conspicuous ring-plain, which is at least 10 miles in diameter, and, according to Schmidt, has a central mountain. Schmidt draws the S.E. border of Pictet as broken by ridges extending on to the floor. He also shows several craters and minor elevations thereon.
TYCHO.—As the centre from which the principal bright ray-system of the moon radiates, and the most conspicuous object in the southern hemisphere, this noble ring-plain may justly claim the pre-eminent title of "the Metropolitan crater." It is more than 54 miles in diameter, and its massive border, everywhere traversed by terraces and variegated by depressions within and without, is surmounted by peaks rising both on the E. and W. to a height of about 17,000 feet above the bright interior, on which stands a magnificent central mountain at least 5000 feet in altitude. Were it not somewhat foreshortened, Tycho would be seen to deviate considerably from what is deemed to be the normal shape. On the S. and W. especially, the wall approximates to the linear type, no signs of curvature being apparent where these sections meet. The crest on the S. and S.E. exhibits many breaks and irregularities; and it is through a narrow gap on the S. that a rill-like valley, originating at a small depression near the foot of the S.W. glacis, passes, and, descending the inner slope of the S.E. wall obliquely, terminates near its foot. There is a distinct crater on the summit ridge on the S.E., and another below the crest on the outer S.W. slope. On the S. inner slope I have often remarked a number of bright oval objects, which, for the lack of a better word, may be termed "mounds" though they represent masses of material many miles in length and breadth. The outer slope of Tycho, exhibiting under a high light a grey nimbus encircling the wall, includes—craters, crater-pits, shallow valleys, spurs and buttresses—in short, almost every variety of lunar feature is represented. Excepting the central mountain and a crater on the W. of it, I have not seen any object on the floor, which, for some unexplained reason, is never very distinct. Schmidt shows several low ridges on the N.E. side. In a paper recently published in the Astronomische Nachrichten, Professor W.H. Pickering, describing his observations of the Tycho streaks made at Arequipa, Peru, with a 13 inch achromatic, asserts that they do not radiate from the centre of Tycho, but from a multitude of minute craters on its S.E. or N. rim. (See Introduction.)
MAGINUS.—An immense partially ruined enclosure, at least 100 miles from side to side, on the S.W. of Tycho, from which it is separated by a region covered with a confused mass of ring-plains and craters. On almost every part of its broken border stand large ring-plains, many of which, if they were isolated, or situated in a less disturbed region, would rank as objects of importance; but among such a multitude of features they pass unnoticed. The largest of them occupies no inconsiderable part of the S.E. wall, and is quite 30 miles in diameter, its own border being also much broken by depressions, as, indeed, are those of almost all the six or more large ring-plains which define the N. limits of Maginus. The loftiest portion of what remains of a true border rises at one place to more than 14,000 feet. On the floor, which is traversed by some of the Tycho rays, there is a mountain group associated with a crater, nearly central, and several large rings on the N. side. Though the formation is very difficult to detect under a high sun, Madler's dictum that "the full moon knows no Maginus" is not strictly true.
STREET.—A walled-plain between Tycho and Maginus, about 28 miles in diameter, with a border of moderate height, broken by depressions on the N. There are some small craters and ridges within; but the surrounding region, with its almost endless variety of abnormally shaped formations, is far more worthy of the observer's attention.
DELUC.—The largest and most prominent member of a curious group of ring- plains on the S.W. of Maginus. It is about 28 miles in diameter, and is encircled by a wall some 7000 feet above the interior, which includes a crater. A large ring with a central mountain encroaches on the N. wall, and a smaller object of the same class on the S. wall.
CLAVIUS.—There are few lunar observers who have not devoted more or less attention to this beautiful formation, one of the most striking of telescopic objects. However familiar we may consider ourselves to be with its features, there is always something fresh to note and to admire as often as we examine its apparently inexhaustible details. It is 142 miles from side to side, and includes an area of at least 16,000 square miles within its irregular circumvallation, which is only comparatively slightly elevated above the bright plateau on the W., though it stands at least 12,000 feet above the depressed floor. At a point on the S.W. a peak rises nearly 17,000 feet above the interior, while on the E. the cliffs are almost as lofty. There are two remarkable ring-plains, each about 25 miles in diameter, associated, one with the N., and the other with the S. wall, the floors of both abounding in detail. The latter, however, is the most noteworthy on account of the curious corrugations visible soon after sunrise on the outer N. slope of its wall, resembling the ribbed flanks of some of the Java volcanoes. There are five large craters on the floor of Clavius, following a curve convex to the N., and diminishing in size from W. to E. The most westerly stands nearly midway between the two large ring-plains on the walls, the second (about two- thirds its area) is associated with a complex group of hills and smaller craters. Both these objects have central mountains. In addition to this prominent chain, there are innumerable craters of a smaller type on the floor, but they are more plentiful on the S. half than elsewhere. On the S.E. wall are three very large depressions. On the broad massive N.E. border, the bright summit ridge and the many transverse valleys running down from it to the floor, are especially interesting features. There are very clear indications of "faulting" on a vast scale where this broad section of the wall abuts on the N. side of the formation.
CYSATUS.—A regular walled-plain, apparently about 28 miles in diameter, forming the most northerly member of a chain of formations, of which Newton, Short, and Moretus, extending towards the S. limb, form a part. Its border rises nearly 13,000 feet above a floor devoid of prominent detail.
GRUEMBERGER.—A much larger and more irregular ring-plain, nearly 40 miles from wall to wall, on the E. side of Cysatus. Its W. border rises nearly 14,000 feet above the interior, which includes an abnormally deep crater, the bottom of which is 20,000 feet below the crest of the W. wall, and several small depressions and ridges. The inner E. slope is finely terraced.
MORETUS.—A magnificent object, 78 miles in diameter, but foreshortened into a flat ellipse. Its beautifully terraced walls and magnificent central mountain, nearly 7000 feet high, are very conspicuous under suitable conditions. The rampart on the E. is more than 15,000 feet above the floor, while on the opposite side it is about 5000 feet lower.