The Moon. 59 



multiples or fractions of any assumed distance, as well as hear- 

 ings or angles of position, will leave little to be desired by an 

 amateur in this matter, as our details are relatively fixed, and in 

 subsequent comparisons it is easy to leave a margin for the 

 differences of eyes, or of the same eye at various times, without 

 the risk of mistakes in identification. 



The intention of the papers, of which this is the commence- 

 ment, will be to point out to such of our readers as may feel 

 disposed to take up this interesting pursuit, some of the most 

 remarkable features of the moon, more especially with the hope 

 that those who possess sufficient optical means and leisure may 

 be induced to study them and delineate them with care, and 

 thus assist in accumulating a body of evidence which may, by 

 ultimate comparison, be found to possess much value. Not- 

 withstanding the worthy labours of our predecessors, there is 

 plenty of room here for the diligent co-operation of many eyes 

 and hands. Schroter's exemplary fidelity in observing and 

 recording was not well seconded by his pencil : his designs are 

 coarse and rough, and contain little of the finer details. Rus- 

 sell's lunar globe and maps are beautiful and ingenioiis, but not 

 accurate enough to possess much value as standards of refer- 

 ence : a globe of the moon in relief, by the same observer, may 

 be seen at the South Kensington Museum, but, unlike the mar- 

 vellous production of Madame Witte described in HerschePs 

 Outlines, can only be regarded as a curiosity. Lohrmann^s accu- 

 rate and ugly "sections" comprise, like the views of Schroter, 

 only a portion of the moon. The continuation of his work by 

 Schmidt, the present Director of the Athens Observatory, if 

 completed, seems to be unknown in this country. Beer and 

 Madler's great map speaks for itself as a noble production 

 of industry and skill, and, especially as illustrated by the 

 corresponding two volumes entitled t)er Mond [The Moon], 

 makes the nearest approach to a complete Selenography ; yet 

 the little attention I have been able to give has convinced me — 

 and my opinion is fully borne out by that of a very diligent 

 observer, Mr. Birt, — that, in some regions, at least, the minuter 

 details are less carefully entered than might have been expected 

 from the general style of the work. The drawings and models 

 of JSTasmyth are of very limited extent, and the promised publi- 

 cation of Dr. D'Orsau has not yet appeared. On the whole, we 

 are quite justified in saying, that after all that previous ob- 

 servers have done, there are many desiderata in the state of 

 our lunar knowledge. It is pleasant to be able to add, that 

 the deficiency is, in a great measure, such as may be supplied 

 by amateur observation. Not only are the general outlines 

 satisfactorily settled, but many of the minuter configurations. 

 The details which are wanted are chiefly such, as are calculated 



