NEWCOMB.—­The most prominent of a group of formations standing in the midst of the Haemus Mountains.  Its crest is nearly 12,000 feet above the floor, on which there are some hills.

MESSALA.—­This fine walled-plain, nearly 70 miles in diameter, is, with its surroundings, an especially interesting object when observed under a low angle of illumination.  Its complex border, though roughly circular, displays many irregularities in outline, due mainly to rows of depressions.  The best view of it is obtained when the W. wall is on the evening terminator.  At this phase, if libration is favourable, the manifold details of its very uneven and apparently convex floor are best seen.  On the S.W. side is a group of large craters associated with a number of low hills, of which Schmidt shows five; but I have seen many more, together with several ridges between them and the E. wall.  I noted also a cleft, or it may be a narrow valley, running from the foot of the N.W. wall towards the centre.  On the floor, abutting on the N.E. border, is a semicircular ridge of considerable height, and beyond the border on the N.E. there is another curved ridge, completing the circle, the wall forming the diameter.  This formation is clearly of more ancient date than Messala, as the N.E. wall of the latter has cut through it.  Where Messala joins Schumacher there is a break in the border, occupied by three deep depressions.

SCHUMACHER.—­A large irregular ring-plain, 28 miles in diameter, associated with the N. wall of Messala, and having other smaller rings adjoining it on the E. and N. The interior seems to be devoid of detail.

HOOKE.—­Another irregular ring-plain, 28 miles in diameter, on the N.E. of Messala.  There is a bright crater of considerable size on the S.W., which is said to be more than 6000 feet in depth, and, according to Neison, is visible as a white spot at full.  There is a smaller crater on the slope of the N.W. wall.

SHUCKBURGH.—­A square-shaped enclosure on the N. of the last, with a comparatively low border.  It has a conspicuous crater at its N.W. corner.

BERZELIUS.—­A considerable ring-plain of regular form, with low walls and dark interior, on which there is a central peak, difficult to detect.

FRANKLIN.—­A ring-plain, 33 miles in diameter, which displays a considerable departure from the circular type, as the border is in great part made up of rectilineal sections.  Both the W. and N.E. wall is much terraced, and rises about 8000 feet above the dark floor, on the S. part of which there is a long ridge.  There is a bright little isolated mountain on the plain E. of the formation, and a conspicuous craterlet on the N.W.  An incomplete ring, with a very attenuated border, abuts on the S. side of Franklin.

CEPHEUS.—­A peculiarly shaped ring-plain, 27 miles in diameter.  The E. border is nearly rectilineal, while on the W., the wall forms a bold curve.  There is a very brilliant crater on the summit of this section, and a central mountain on the floor.  The W. wall is much terraced.  W. of Cepheus, close to the brilliant crater, there is a cleft or narrow valley running N. towards Oersted.