OF AN EIGHTH SATELLITE OF SATURN. 287 



ommendation of a separate name for each satellite. The names 

 proposed by him are drawn from the mythological family of Saturn.* 

 After enumerating them he adds: — "Should an eighth satellite 

 exist, the confusion of the old nomenclature will become quite 

 intolerable." 



The names selected by Sir John Herschel are the following : — 



" The exterior satellite, discovered by Cassini, lapetus. 



The bright satellite, discovered by Huyghens, Titan. 



The exterior of the three satellites discovered by Cassini, Rhea. 



The intermediate of these three, Dione. 



The interior of them, Tethys. 



The exterior of the two discovered by Sir W. Herschel, Enceladus. 



The interior and smallest of all, Mimas." 



The discovery of an eighth satellite, alluded to by Sir John 

 Herschel as possible, having now been effected by the admirable 

 instruments and not less admirable skill of the Messrs. Bond and 

 Mr. Lassell, it becomes absolutely necessary to adopt some con- 

 venient system of names for the separate members of this large 

 planetary family. The names proposed by Sir John Herschel were 

 spontaneously adopted by the Messrs. Bond and Mr. Lassell ; and 

 it now only remains to appropriate a name to the satellite discov- 

 ered by themselves. 



* Sir John Herschel thus states the considerations which governed his selection 

 of names : — "As Saturn devoured his children, his family could not be assem- 

 bled around him, so that the choice lay among his brothers and sisters, the Titans 

 and Titanesses. ( Vide Lempriere. ) The name of lapetus seemed indicated by 

 the obscurity and remoteness of the e.xterior satellite. Titan by the superior size of 

 the Huyghenian, while the three female appellations class together the three inter- 

 mediate Cassinian satellites. The minute interior ones seemed appropriately char- 

 acterized by a return to male appellations, chosen from a younger and inferior 

 (though still superhuman) brood." — p. 415. 



