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These distinguishing titles, as adopted by Schroter, Lohrmann, and Madler, and accepted by subsequent observers, are WALLED-PLAINS, MOUNTAIN RINGS, RING-PLAINS, CRATERS, CRATER-CONES, CRATERLETS, CRATER-PITS, DEPRESSIONS. WALLED-PLAINS. These formations, approximating more or less to the circular form, though frequently deviating considerably from it, are among the largest enclosures on the moon.
Again, many rills described by Madler as very delicate and difficult to trace, may now be easily followed in "common telescopes."
MADLER. The interest attaching to this formation is not to be measured by its size, for it is only about 20 miles in diameter, but by the remarkable character of its surroundings. Under a high sun Madler has a very peculiar appearance.
The former bears a great resemblance to the ridge N. of Madler, and, like this, appears to traverse the N. border. The interior of Pytheas, which is depressed more than 2000 feet below the Mare, includes a brilliant central peak. LAMBERT. A ring-plain, 17 miles in diameter, presenting many noteworthy features.
MALAPERT. A ring-plain situated far too near the limb for useful observation. Between it and Newton is a number of abnormally shaped enclosures. CABEUS. Another object out of the range of satisfactory scrutiny. Madler considered that it is as deep as Newton. According to Neison, a central peak and two craters can be seen within under favourable conditions.
As in the case of Hyginus N, there are still many sceptics as regards actual change, despite the records of Lohrmann and Madler; but the evidence in favour of it seems to preponderate. CONON. A bright little crater, 11 miles in diameter, situated among the intricacies of the Apennines, S. of Mount Bradley. It has a central hill, which is not a difficult object.
Madler expatiates on the sublime view which would be obtained by any one standing on the highest peak and observing the setting sun on one side of him and the nearly "full" earth on the other; while beneath him would lie a vast plain, shrouded in darkness, surrounded by the brilliantly illuminated peaks on the lofty border, gradually passing out of sunlight.
From these data the Leyden observer arrived at a period of rotation of 24h. 37m. 22·62s., being just one second shorter than that deduced, exclusively from their own observations, by Beer and Mädler. The exactness of this result was practically confirmed by the inquiries of Professor Bakhuyzen of Leyden.
Madler represents them as similar in every respect, but Webb, observing them in 1855 and 1856 with a 3 7/10 achromatic, found them very distinctly different, Messier, the more westerly, being not only clearly smaller than its companion, but longer from W. to E. than from N. to S., as it undoubtedly is at the present time.
Madler discovered two delicate short clefts, both running from N.W. to S.E., one on the W. and the other on the E. of this formation. W.C. BOND. A great enclosed plain of rhomboidal shape on the N. of Archytas, the bright ring-plain Timaeus standing near its E. corner, and another conspicuous but much smaller enclosure with a smaller crater W. of it on the floor at the opposite angle.
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