23 REPORT 1867. 



mente, Table IX., represents this object as a white spot of a diameter almost 

 equal to that of the crater Sulpicius Gallus, with the trace of a small crater 

 such as we now observe, and not as some have affirmed under the form of a 

 large black spot. It is certain that the dimensions of the crater are almost 

 equal to those assigned to it by Schmidt himself, that is to say, about four 

 miles in diameter. 



"Wolf. " D'apres la note meme de M. Schmidt, Scliroter semble ne pas 

 avoir vu Liune, au moins comme un des crateres principaux de la mer de 

 Serenite, bien qu'il en ait note de plus petits." — Comptes llendus, Seance du 

 17 Juin 1867. 



Translation. — From the note itself of M. Schmidt, Schrcitcr seems not to 

 have seen Linne, at least as one of the principal craters of the Mare Serenitatis, 

 although he has noticed some smaller (see a^ite, p. 4 h). 



Eecent opinion of the White Spot. — Mr. Slack, writing under date of 

 Oct. 11, 1867, says, " There can be no doubt that Linne varies in appearance, 

 sometimes justifying the epithet ' cloudy,' at others gradually toning down 

 fi'om the bright central part to an edge difficult to define or discriminate from 

 the adjacent portion of sea, and last night (sec observation, ante, pp. 7, 8) 

 clear at the margin and distinct from the sea." Mr. Slack adds, " But is 

 this peculiar to Linne? I think not, but it must be considered in relation to 

 other changes of tint and hue." 



Opinions on the Genekal IIesults. 



Herr Schhidt, 1867, Feb. 7. " Nachdem nun vier Lunationen hindurch 

 die sorgfaltigste Priifung dargethan hat, dass ' Linne,' in seiner Tagesperiode 

 etwa 13 Tage lang als klcine Lichtwolke, an der Lichtgrenze abcr durchaus 

 nicht als Crater, gesehen wird, sondern zur Zeit sehr geringcr Sonnenhohen 

 iiberhaupt ganz unsichtbar ist, halte ich jetzt, gestiitzt auf Thatsachen der 

 Beobachtung, den Ausspruch geuiigend begriiudet 'dass auf dem Monde 

 gegcnwartUj nocJi Ye rdnderungen eintreten, die dnrch den WecJisel der Beleuch- 

 tung nicht erkliirt iverden Jconnen.' " 



Translation. — Now that after the most careful examination, continued 

 through four lunations, has proved that Linne in its day-period, about 13 

 days long, is visible as a small white cloud, but on the terminator- not at all as- 

 n crater, whQst at the epochs of very small sun-heights it is quite invisible, 

 I regard it as satisfactorily established, relying on the facts of the observa- 

 tions, that changes are now still talcing place on the moon, vjJiich cannot be 

 e.i'plained hi/ the differences of illumination. 



Herr Schmidt, 1867, August 23. In a letter to Mr. Lynn of this date, 

 before referred to, Herr Schmidt says, " AUe Beohachtinigrn lehren einfach 

 desselbe, namlich, dass jetzt an Stelle des vormals sehr tiefen und .5000 

 Toisen breiten Craters Linne, nur noch eine nicht vertiefte heUe Flache und 

 ein kleiner Hiigel gesehen werden." 



Translation. — All the observations teach precisely the same thing, namely, 

 that in the place of the formerly existing crater in Linne, which was very 

 deep and .5000 toises wide, there can now be seen only a bright spot, not a 

 depression, and a small hill. 



Flajimarion. " Si Linne avait eu cet aspect a rcpoque oii Beer et Miidler 

 ont construit leur Mappa Selenographica il est impossible qu'ils I'eussent in- 

 ■diquo comme un cratere." — Comptes Rendus, torn. Ixiv. (20 Mai 1867) No. 20, 

 p. 1020. 



Translation.-^i Linjie had had this aspect at the epoch when Beer and 



