MACLAURIN.—The principal member of a group of irregular ring-plains on the W. side of the Mare Foecunditatis, a little S. of the lunar equator. Schmidt shows no details within it, except a small crater on the E. side of the floor.
WEBB.—A ring-plain E. of Maclaurin, about 14 miles in diameter, with a dusky floor, enclosed by a bright rim, on the N.E. side of which there is a small crater. Schmidt seems to have overlooked the central hill.
LANGRENUS.—This noble circumvallation, the most northerly of the meridional chain of immense walled-plains, extending for more than 600 miles from near the equator to S. lat. 40 deg., would, but for its propinquity to the limb, rank with Copernicus (which in many respects it resembles) among the most striking objects on the surface of the moon. Its length is about 90 miles from N. to S., and its breadth fully as much. In shape it approximates very closely to that of a foreshortened regular hexagon. The walls, which at one point on the E. rise to an altitude of nearly 10,000 feet, are continuous, except on this side, where they are broken by the interference of an irregular depression, and on the extreme S., where they are intersected by cross-valleys. Within, the terraces are remarkably distinct, and the intervening valleys strongly marked. The brilliant compound central mountain rises at its loftiest peak to a height of more than 3000 feet. On the N. of it is an obscure circular ring, which may possibly merely represent a fortuitous combination of ridges, though it has all the appearance of a modified ring-plain. On the Mare, some distance N.E. of the formation, is a group of three ring-plains, with two small craters (associated with a ridge) on the N. of them. Two of the more westerly of these objects have prominent central mountains, and the third a very dark interior. At least three bright streaks originate on the E. flank of Langrenus, which, diverging widely, traverse the Mare Foecunditatis.
[FLATTENINGS ON THE MOON'S WESTERN LIMB.—About thirty years ago, the Rev. Henry Cooper Key drew attention to certain flattenings which he had noted on the W. limb, which are very apparent under favourable conditions of libration. Their position cannot be closely defined, but the principal deviation from circularity extends from about S. lat. 10 deg. to the region on the limb opposite the S. border of the Mare Crisium.]
VENDELINUS.—The second great enclosure pertaining to the meridional chain—a magnificent walled-plain of about the same dimensions as the last. It is bounded by a very irregular rampart, which, under evening illumination, is especially noteworthy, though nowhere approaching the altitude of that of Langrenus. Its continuity on the W. is broken by the great ring-plain Vendelinus C, about 50 miles in diameter, a formation resembling Langrenus in miniature. This is hexagonal in shape, and has many rings and depressions on its W. wall. South of Vendelinus C, the wall of Vendelinus runs up in a bold curve to the fine terraced ring- plain Vendelinus B, and is surmounted by a bright serpentine crest, and traversed by several valleys running down the slope to the floor. B has a small crater on its N. wall, and another in the interior. There is a wide gap in the S. border of Vendelinus, which is partially occupied by another somewhat smaller ring-plain, bounded by a southerly extension of the E. wall, which includes on its outer slope many craters and other depressions, and abuts near its N. end on the large ring-plain Vendelinus A, which has a prominently terraced wall and a large bright central mountain. Between A and C extends a plateau that may be regarded as the N. limit of the formation, including, among other minor details, a fine cleft, which traverses it from N. to S., and ultimately extends to a group of craters on the floor. On the S. side of the interior is one large ring-plain, flanked on the W. by two small craters. Near the N. end are many bright little craters, many of them unrecorded. Vendelinus C is bordered on the E. by two large semicircular formations with low walls extending on to the floor. Mr. W.H. Maw and others have detected many minute depressions in connection with these curious objects; and N. of them, on the outer slope of C, where it runs out to the level of the plateau, I have seen the surface at sunset riddled like a sieve with craterlets and little pits. There is an irregular ring-plain N. of A, with linear walls, and another, much smaller and brighter, on the N. of this, standing a little beyond the N. limits of Langrenus.
LA PEYROUSE.—A much foreshortened walled-plain, 41 miles in diameter, close to the limb, S.W. of Langrenus. There is a longitudinal ridge on the floor. Between it and Langrenus are two large ring-plains with central mountains, and on the N.E., La Peyrouse A, a bright crater, adjoining which is La Peyrouse DELTA, one of the most brilliant spots on the moon.
ANSGARIUS.—A ring-plain, 50 miles in diameter, still nearer to the limb than the last.
BEHAIM.—A great ring-plain, 65 miles in diameter, S. of Ansgarius, and connected with it by ridges. It has lofty walls and a central mountain.
HECATAEUS.—An immense walled-plain, 115 miles in length, on the S.W. of Vendelinus, with a very irregular rampart and a conspicuous central mountain. It is flanked E. and W. by other large enclosures, which can only be seen to advantage when libration is favourable.
W. HUMBOLDT.—Though close to the limb, this enormous wall-surrounded plain, some 130 miles in extreme length, and estimated to have an area of 12,000 square miles, is well worth observing under suitable conditions. It ranks among the largest formations of its class, and in many respects resembles Bailly on the S.E. limb. At one point on the E. a peak rises to 16,000 feet, and on the opposite side there are peaks nearly as high. The floor contains some detail—a crater, nearly central, associated with ridges, and two dark spots, one at the S. and the other at the N. end.