195 
correct course, but that he had always before set the error 
down to a strong current, which he had assumed to sweep 
along the coast. This seems a well authenticated case of 
error induced in highly magnetised compasses by these 
mountains. From the courses steered by small wooden 
coasters in company with us, we gathered that their com- 
passes were not affected. Working the ship’s dead reckoning 
from noon, I place her at the time of the morning amplitude 
in lat. 42° 25T', long. 6° 07'7' E., and at night when the 
variation was ascertained by an observation of Polaris in 
lat. 43° 34', long. 7° 34' E. 
Mr. Baxendell read a Paper u On a New Variable Star 
(T Aquilae).” 
On the night of the 28th of July last, I observed that the 
star No. 4078 of Zone + 15° of the “ Bonner Sternverzeich- 
niss,” was about one magnitude and a quarter less than its 
neighbour No. 4079, although on the night of the 25tli of 
J une I had noted down these two stars as being nearly equal 
in brightness. Afterwards, on referring to my notes of 
reviews of this part of the heavens, made at Mr. Worthing- 
ton’s observatory on August 19, 1859, and June 18, 1860, I 
found that at the former date both these stars were seen, and 
were then nearly equal in magnitude ; but that a third star, 
No. 4077, ivas invisible ; while under the latter date it is 
stated that No. 4077 was then visible and estimated to be of 
the ninth magnitude, but no mention is made of the two stars 
Nos. 4078 and 4079. I have since made a careful examina- 
tion of the positions of these and some of the neighbouring 
stars, and have satisfied myself that the star seen on June 
18th, 1860, was No. 4079, and not No. 4077 as was then 
supposed, and that therefore both 4077 and 4078 were at that 
time invisible, or, at all events, below the eleventh magni- 
tude. After the 28th of July last No. 4078 gradually 
diminished in brightness until about the 24th of August, 
when it passed a minimum. It has since increased, and 
