47 
on the 5th instant, when it appeared as a small bright spot, 
and I then noticed a minute white spot near it to the south- 
east which I had never seen before, and which in the 
moments of best definition appeared to be a very minute 
crater. 
Although IV Aa 17, IV A£ 39, and the neighbouring 
objects have been for some time closely observed by Mr. 
Williams, Mr. Birt, and others, yet it appears that none of 
these gentlemen had noticed the companion crater till I drew 
Mr. Birt’s attention to it three or four months after I had 
first seen it. This circumstance shows strikingly how 
necessary it is to be cautious in receiving any evidence that 
may be advanced in favour of the view that changes have 
recently, and are still, taking place on the moon’s surface. 
In concluding this short notice I trust I may be permitted 
to remark that my experience of the purely artificial system 
of nomenclature of lunar objects which has been adopted by 
the Lunar Committee of the British Association, has led 
me to desire strongly that selenographers would endeavour 
to devise, and agree to adopt, a more natural and less 
cumbrous system, since there can be no doubt that much of 
the future progress of selenography will depend upon the 
facility, convenience, and accuracy with which lunar obser- 
vations can be recorded, and references made to the 
numerous objects which come under the observer’s notice. 
Observations of the Transit of Mercury, Nov. 5th, 1868. 
1. — By J. Baxendell, F.R.A.S., at the late Mr. Wor- 
thington’s Observatory, Crumpsall. 
The morning of the 5th instant opened unfavourably for 
observation, and the sun was not seen from Mr. Worthing- 
ton’s Observatory before 8h. 35m. a.m. It was then evident 
that frequent interruptions from passing clouds would ren- 
der it impossible to obtain trustworthy measures of the 
position of Mercury on the sun’s disc, and I decided to con- 
fine my attention to the determination of the times of con- 
tact of the planet with the sun’s limb. Fortunately the 
sun’s disc was free from cloud during the whole of the 
