508 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1795. 



some measure like the dark spots of the moon's surface, grey, yet darker than 

 the other parts. 



And again, March 1 1th, from 6'^ 10™ to 45"^, p. m. the weather having cleared 

 up after snow, I found no striking difference of the horns, with powers of 209, 

 288, and 370, and a distinct image ; however the southern appeared rather less 

 pointed, which was occasioned by a very fine glimmering pointed line of light, 

 that ran on from the horn not fiir into the dark side, and was visible with all 

 magnifying powers. I saw this line of light equally, whether I observed with 

 the whole aperture, or covered a considerable part of it. It would be singular 

 indeed, and most discouraging for all such observations, if so many appearances, 

 agreeing together, and viewed with every precaution, should be merely decep- 

 tion, particularly as they usually and principally occurred only at the southern 

 horn, without any reason that could be assigned if it be thought a fallacy. But 

 if there be no deception, it follows incontrovertibly, that the surface of the 

 southern hemisphere of Venus, like that of the moon, has the most and great- 

 est inequalities. 



March )2th, 6^ 15" to 30™ p. m. no kind of difference in the horns, no 

 spot, or any other unusual appearance, could be seen with a power of 209, At 

 8'', the same. But on the 13th of March, from ll*" to u'' 20™ a. m. I per- 

 ceived, with the same magnifying power, a very evident and remarkable differ- 

 ence. The northern horn appeared pointed, but the southern was rounded, 

 with a very small knot close upon it to the south. Thus I saw it with 160 and 288 

 magnifying powers ; and I even distinguished it with 95, though this was too 

 small a power for so minute an object. On the northern horn I found nothing 

 similar, though I compared them repeatedly. Business called me away ; and the 

 atmosphere soon afterwards became cloudy, and continued so all day. 



This very remarkable observation is indeed not precisely the same as those of 

 the 26th and 27th of February : yet the appearance is very little different from 

 that of the above-mentioned days, when the shadow at length penetrated quite 

 through, and the separated part was perceived as an insulated bright point. 

 Now if it be considered, that on the 28th of February, only 24 hours later, 

 this appearance recurred, but was not exactly the same; and that when a 

 very extensive mountainous southern region forms the edge of the planet in 

 various degrees of obliquity, according to the respective situations of Venus and 

 the earth, the phenomena must naturally be so diversified; there cannot be the 

 least doubt, but that the same southern range of mountains, vvhicii occasioned 

 the similar appearances of the 26th, 27th, and 28th of February in the evening, 

 also produced this of the forenoon about 1 1 o'clock, according to the rotation ; 

 especially as no intervening observation contradicts this conclusion. The eflect 



