X!X.] 



THE FIGURE OF THE EARTH. 



535 



form lines which run up and down the length of the cylinder. 

 If, when the bladder touches the inside-, it could be ripped 

 up, and spread out flat, it would form Mercator's projection. 

 (Fig. 109.) All the lines of longitude are straight lines at 

 equal distances apart ; and all the lines of latitude are also 

 straight lines, but not at equal distances. On a globe, the 

 meridians run together near the poles, but on this projection 



Fig. log. — Mercator's projection. 



they are equidistant ; hence the high latitudes are evidently 

 too much spread out to the east and west, and to counteract 

 this distortion, the parallels of latitude are also stretched 

 north and south. By thus increasing the distances between 

 the parallels of latitude, as they advance from the equator, 

 the shape of the land is preserved, but its size is grossly 

 The Dolar regions are not brought within 



exaggerated 



