90 Star ant) TOleatber Gossip 



east. The cliffs forming the eastern arm of the Bay 

 will be seen as if hanging out into space, like a string 

 of pearls on black velvet. With the advance of the 

 sunlight to about 36 degrees east longitude the south- 

 eastern extremity of the Bay, known as Heraclides 

 Promontory, which towers to a height of some 4000 

 feet, will gradually assume the profile of a girl's head 

 and shoulders, with long flowing tresses streaming out 

 behind her into the darkness. The Moon Maiden 

 seems to gaze across the Mare Imbrium, or Sea of 

 Showers, towards the small craters Helicon and 

 Leverrier, each only about twelve miles in diameter." 



Observations of this interesting figure were made 

 by Mr. Cooker on February 5th, 1913, at about 8.30 

 p.m., and on December 27th, 1914, at 4 p.m., when 

 the head " stood out like an exquisite cameo." On 

 each occasion the moon's age was 10 days 13 hours. 

 The Rev. F. B. Allison, of Peasmarsh, Sussex, and 

 Dr. C. S. Ticehurst, of Playden, have each had excellent 

 views of the " Maiden." The former has stated to 

 me that his first glimpse of it was in 1895, when he 

 had no previous knowledge of its existence ; it struck 

 him at once, and was " so exquisitely finished that a 

 Phidias or Thorwaldsen seemed to have been up there 

 at work." 



It would certainly be interesting to ascertain the 

 first recorded observation of this charming " Moon 

 Maiden." 



At the beginning of 1914, Mr. H. Tompkins, of Stroud 

 Green, N., perceived at noonday on the lunar Apennines 

 a formation which, from the original drawing of it 

 forwarded to me, bears a wonderful resemblance to a 

 butterfly with expanded wings. Hence, he has named 



