40 Doubts and Facts concerning Linne. 



a round white spot, and not by the figure of a crater." 

 Schroter's words are, " Als ein weisses selir kleines rundes 

 Flechchen erscheinende, etwas ungewisse einsenltung in sich hat ;" 

 .which may be translated, " Appearing as a white, very small 

 round spot, with a somewhat uncertain depression in it.'" 

 Mr. Huggins observes that such a description coincides very 

 well with existing aspects, and he does not think the absence 

 of any notice by Schroter of a small interior crater is of much 

 weight in indicating its subsequent formation. He adds, that 

 " Lohrmann's description and that of Madler do not appear to 

 be in accordance with Schroter's observations, or with the 

 present condition of the object." 



WOLF ON LINNE. 



{From " Comptes Mendus," June 17, 1887). 



Since the 10th May I have noticed that the crater Linne 

 continues to exist, but with a much smaller diameter than that 

 of the crater indicated in the maps of Lohrmann or Beer and 

 Madler. In the centre of the white spot a circular black hole 

 may be seen, bordered on the west by a portion of ground 

 which seems prominent above the remainder of the spot. 

 This slight extra elevation has already been described by 

 Schmidt. Atmospheric circumstances did not allow me to 

 obtain an irreproachable image of the moon before the 10th 

 June. On that day, at 8 o'clock, Linne had already been in 

 full light nearly 48 hours, and the central hole could be seen 

 with perfect sharpness. It is a deep crater — deeper than most 

 of the little craters surrounding it, if one may judge from the 

 comparative intensity of the shadows; but its diameter is not 

 equal to that of craters A and B of Beer and Madler. The 

 white spot which spreads radiatingly (s'etend en ragourant) 

 round it, had, on the 12th June, a diameter of 4"'5, that of 

 Bessel being 7"' 7. The crater itself subtending a little less 

 than one second. The perfect purity of the atmosphere, and 

 the optical power of the telescope (0m. 40) which I employed, 

 allowed a number of small craters to be seen very distinctly 

 round Linne, or rather a number of small round holes with- 

 out elevated margins, and w T hich are not shown in Beer and 

 Madler' s map. Six of these little craters form a very remark- 

 able double range to the north and north-east of Linne. They 

 are smaller than the craters in a line situate to the north-west 

 of Lmne, and noticed by Schmidt. I employed magnifications 

 of 235, 380, and G20 times. 



The brightness of Liune has not changed since Beer and 

 Miidler's observations, for it is always equal to that of the 

 white spot situated near Littrow, on the western margin or 



