282 Linne and Aristoteles. 



and carrying it on about an equal distance. It is, however, 

 very low in our latitudes. 



LINNE AND AEISTOTELES. 



The evening of April 11 proving an exceptionally fine one 

 during a most unfavourable season, I determined to examine 

 the site of Linne, although considerably removed from the ter- 

 minator, near which I have never yet had an opportunity of 

 looking for it. The quadrature had taken place at 3h., and at 

 7h. 15m. (G.M.T.) the terminator bisected the ring of Aristillus, 

 while the greater part of that of Autolycus was tipped with 

 light. With my 9Jin. silvered speculum, and powers of 212, 

 and the same raised considerably by a Barlow lens, I found the 

 general definition something better than usual, but variedby short 

 though frequently recurring intervals of great distinctness. It 

 was not difficult to see that there was some marking in the 

 white, ill- defined patch on the site of Linne ; but its nature was 

 not so readily made out. With close attention, I once or twice 

 thought I saw the u ghost" described by Mr. Knott (Astron. 

 Register, l. 33) as a pale ring, about as large, perhaps, as that 

 figured by B. and M., a little brighter than the included or 

 exterior surface. But this was seldom the case, and what was 

 much more frequently and steadily seen was, not merely the 

 black point described by Schmidt, but its character as the 

 shadow in a very small crater, surrounded by a luminous ring 

 of considerable proportional breadth. It seemed not more 

 than -J- as large as the nearest little crater to the N.W., Linne A 

 of B. and M. — 7h. 45m. Air not quite so good : power about 

 239 : previous observation confirmed. The " ghost " ring and 

 the minute crater cannot be seen both at once ; but I think the 

 pit lies at the W. side of the ring : this, however, is quite 

 doubtful. It may be half the size of Linne A. — 8h. 15m. Air 

 worse ; but once a pretty clear though transient view of the 

 little crater. This result, under the circumstances, ought only 

 to be received with caution : I would, however, record my full 

 impression that the minute pit and its ring have an actual 

 existence. It will be seen that the observation is in full ac- 

 cordance with that of Secchi, and differs somewhat from those 

 of Schmidt ; owing, it may be presumed, to the superiority of 

 my powerful reflector, whose definition probably resembles 

 more nearly that of the celebrated Ptoman achromatic, than that 

 of the tarnished dialyte with which, nevertheless, so much ad- 

 mirable work has been done at Athens. But all results tend 

 to establish the reality of Schmidt's claim, as the discoverer of 

 an unquestionable instance of lunar change. 



Such events will naturally lead to a closer scrutiny of minute 



