author here dug up a Cæcilian (Cæcilia virgata), and amused himself with the curious leaf insect (Phyllium siccifolium).

The Introduction to the book is followed by a long paper by Prof. Möbius on the Foraminifera of the Mauritius, illustrated by many finely-executed plates. Amongst other Rhizopods a Haliphysema occurs, the animal which, by a most extraordinary blunder, was made out by Häckel to have a multicellular structure, and supposed to represent a Gastræa of modern times. Prof. Möbius confirms the observations of Carter, Savile Kent, and Ray Lankester, to the effect that the animal is in reality simply a Rhizopod. He has examined the structure of the Foraminiferous shells which he describes, very carefully by means of sections. He does not, however, add anything of importance to our knowledge of the structure of the soft tissues of the group.

An account of the Decapod Crustacea by Dr. F. Richter follows that of the Foraminifera. Two crabs of most extraordinary habits are described in this portion of the work. Both belong to the family Polydectinæ. The crabs of this family have their front claws armed with large teeth. Latreille, who first named the crab Polydectes cupulifer, remarked that a gummy substance was always to be found at the ends of the claws of this species, and Dana described the animal as having always something spongy in its hands. Dr. Möbius has discovered the remarkable fact that these things held in the two claws of the crab are in reality living sea-anemonies. These sea-anemonies are attached to the immovable joint of each claw, whilst the teeth of the movable joint of the claw are kept buried deep into the flesh of the seaanemonies, and thus hold them fast, although each anemony can easily be pulled away from its position with the forceps in specimens preserved in spirits. The mouth of the sea-anemony is always turned away from the crab. The same curious combination exists in the case of another species of the same family but of a different genus, Melia tessellata, which also inhabits Mauritius. A figure is given of this crab with its pair of Actinias, named by Möbius A. prehensa, with fully expanded tentacles, held out one in each hand. Möbius gives the following account of the matter. "I collected about fifty male and female specimens of Melia tessellata; all of these held in each claw an Actinia prehensa. curved hooks of the inner margins of the claw joints of the crab are particularly well adapted to hold the Actinias fast. I never succeeded in dragging the living Actinias out without injuring them. If I left the fragments of them when pulled out lying in the vessel in which the Melia was, the crab collected them again into its clutch in a short time. If I cut the Actinias in pieces with the scissors, I found them all again in the claws of the crab after a few hours. It is very probable that the Actinias aid the crab in catching its prey by means of their threadcells, and that the Actinias, on the other hand, gain by being carried from place to place by the crab, and thus brought into contact with more animals which can serve as food to them, than they would if stationary. This is a very interesting case of commensalism."

The re

The work closes with a long account of the Mollusca of Mauritius and the Seychelles by Prof. E. von Martens. H. N. MOSELEY

NOTES

THE centenary of the birth of George Stephenson is not to be allowed to pass by in a fruitless way in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Dinners, speeches, trade processions, enthusiasm and buntingall this was to be expected in a place so intimately connected with the birth of railways. But more than this will probably be done, and we are glad to hear that a scheme is on foot for com. memorating the 9th of June in a more useful and more lasting manner, viz. by providing a "Stephenson College" for the use

of the houseless but hard-working College of Physical Science of the University of Durham in Newcastle.

THE French Association for the Advancement of Science has been in existence only ten years, but in that short time it has met with astonishing success, and has done some excellent work. To the fifteen sections already existing it proposes to add a sixteenth, under the name of the Section of Pedagogy, and a

committee of members will discuss its formation at the forth

coming meeting at Algiers. The subjects of which the Association takes cognisance are divided into four groups, viz., Mathematical Sciences, Physical and Chemical Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Economic Sciences. A goodly list of papers has been already announced, among the authors of which we notice some of the most prominent savans in France. We trust, however, that the Association will not degenerate into a great excursion organisation, as to some extent it appears to have done this year. Thus the meeting lasts for six days, while the return tickets, issued in connection with the Association under very liberal terms, are good for six weeks, and no less than fifteen excursions in the neighbourhood of Algiers have been arranged. Five of these each occupy a week, and one of them a fortnight. The great number of applications for tickets both from France and Spain compel us to imagine that in many cases the membership of the Society has been sought this year rather for the sake of the tempting excursions than for the love of science. April is one of the most lovely months in the year at Algiers: the mean temperature is 16.5° C., with a possible minimum of 8°, and a possible maximum of 30°. In May the mean temperature is 19.5° C., and there may be eight days of rain; while at Biskra the maximum may be as high as 40° C. (104° F.), and not more than one day of rain may be expected in May. A proclamation has been issued by the local committee asking the inhabitants to place rooms at the disposal of the visitors. Among those who will cross the Mediterranean will be Admiral Mouchez, MM. Quatrefages, Wurtz, Saporta, the

naturalist, M. Cartaillac, the geologist, and many others, who

will give interesting papers on a variety of subjects.

MR. ASHTON DILKE tried in vain on Tuesday to get the House of Commons seriously to consider the advisability of adopting the decimal system of coinage in this country. It is hopeless in the present state of public affairs to induce Parliament to attend to a matter of this kind. On the widely beneficial results of the adoption of the metric system in whole or in part we have often insisted. That there would be some inconvenience

in making the transition, of course every one will admit; but as compared to the ultimate benefits from the adoption of the metric system, they are not worthy of consideration. Mr. Dilke does well not to let the matter drop out entirely of public notice.

THE Thore prize of the Académie des Sciences of Paris has been awarded to M. A. Vayssière, préparateur des cours de Zoologie à la Faculté des Sciences de Marseille, for an anatomical memoir of Prosopistoma punctifrons, Lat. Some of our readers interested in comparative anatomy may remember having seen the original drawings in London last summer, and will be glad to know that it will soon be forthcoming. M. Vayssière is a careful expert.

THE French Minister of Public Instruction intends to do a great service to science by publishing monthly a résumé of the scientific work being done over France, under the title of Revue des Sciences. The review will be under the direction of the venerable M. H. Milne-Edwards, and will consist exclusively of analyses and summaries, but of sufficient detail to give a fair idea of the nature of the work being done. It will embrace the work of individuals and of societies all over the country, and each number will contain about 100 pages.

M. DELESSE, a member of the Institute, vice-president of the Geographical Society of Paris, and author of a number of works and papers on geology, died in Paris at the age of sixty-three

years.

THE death is announced on the 25th inst. of Sir Charles Reed, M.P., the much-respected chairman of the London School Board.

A METEOROLOGICAL observatory has been erected at Port-auPrince, Haiti, under the care of the Rev. Father Wiek, on ground granted by the State. It is an octagon of two stories and a platform. Besides the indispensable instruments it has electric clocks (for communicating the time to clocks outside), telephones, microphones, phonographs, radiometers, &c.

THE inaugural meeting of a Society of Chemical Industry will be held in the rooms of the Chemical Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, on April 4, at 4 p.m. This Society is not intended to represent any one particular branch of chemical industry. It is hoped that it will be representative of many manufactures-alkali-making, manure-making, the textile colour industries, the glass and pottery manufactures, tar distilling, soap-making, sugar-making, brewing, metallurgy, the manufacture of fine chemicals, and all other industries which show any connection with chemical science.

THE newly-issued part of the Medical Reports which are from time to time issued by order of the Inspector-General of Chinese Maritime Customs, contains an elaborate monograph by Dr. Duane B. Simmons on the subject of Beriberi, or the Kakké of Japan, which includes some interesting notes on the history and geographical distribution of the disease, and is illustrated by a sketch-map.

MR. BOWDLER SHARPE, F.L.S., delivered on Thursday last the concluding lecture of a series on the "Birds of the World," which he has been giving at Tonbridge School. Throughout the winter lectures have been given on various literary and scientific subjects by Prof. Henry Morley, Rev. A. Lucas, and others, and large and attentive audiences have shown great interest in all the series. The school already possesses a small museum, which is increasing under the auspices of the present head-master, the Rev. T. B. Rowe, who is evidently doing his best to encourage a taste for science and literature in the institution under his charge.

EVERY ornithologist should read a little pamphlet recently sent to us by the Dundee Naturalists' Society, entitled "The Grallatores and Natatores of the Estuary of the Tay; the great decrease in their numbers of late years; the causes; with suggestions for its mitigation. A paper read by Col. Drummond Hay.” to renders his experiences doubly interesting, makes out a good

The author, whose long residence in the district alluded

case for his friends the birds in regard to their alleged destruction of fish and spawn, and no doubt some notice will be taken of his statements at the approaching Fisheries' Exhibition at Norwich. The principal cause in the decrease of the birds on the Tay he attributes chiefly to the increased number of gunners on the river, who disregard the close-season, while the wilful destruction of the sea-birds' eggs also plays sad havoc amongst their numbers. Drainage and cultivation of the land has also altered the conditions under which certain species nested, and has driven them further afield.

A Conference on the reform of the Educational Code is to meet in London in the third week in April, and to sit for two days, for the purpose of drawing up a series of recommendations, to be submitted in the form of a memorial to the Vice-President of the Committee of Council. The gentlemen invited to attend are persons conversant with the practical

working of the public elementary school system, head-masters of secondary schools, persons experienced in education, and others interested. Invitations have been accepted by the chairmen of the Education and School Management Committees of the School Boards for London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol, Bradford, Leicester, and Nottingham; also by Dr. Abbott, Dr. Caldicott, Mr. Eve, Professors Max Müller, Carey Foster, Henrici, Gladstone, and Meiklejohn; Sir U. Kay-Shuttleworth, Sir. John Lubbock, the Rev. Mark Pattison, and numerous others.

MR. STEPHEN BRETTON, F.M.S., writes from Eastbourne to the Times, under date March 28, that he saw a meteor of great splendour that morning (1.15 a.m. Greenwich mean time), the finest he ever observed. Its size was apparently rather larger than Venus at her brightest, and for two or three seconds illuminated the heavens very brilliantly. Its colour was of an intense purple white, and moved somewhat slowly. He first noticed it a little south of Regulus, and going in direction of Castor. When immediately below Prosepe it burst into about five or six frag. ments, each about the size of a star of the third or fourth magnitude, these assuming a deep fiery [red. It then immediately disappeared. The night was especially clear; temperature in air about 30°; barometer about 29.850.

THE Committee of the "Frank Buckland Memorial Fund" have decided that the memorial shall take the form of a bust to be placed in the Fish Museum at South Kensington; the purchase of an annuity to be presented to Mrs. Buck land; and, if there be any surplus, it will be applied in some way to promote the welfare of the fishermen of this country. The honorary secretaries are Col. Bridges and Mr. T. Douglas Murray, to whom subscriptions may be sent at 34, Portland Place.

SMART shocks of earthquake occurred at Agram on March 21 at 3h. 40m. a.m., duration three seconds, and on March 24 at 6h. 45m. a.m., both accompanied by loud subterranean noises. THERE was another earthquake shock at Casamicciola on Sunday morning at 6.45.

M. VAN MALDEREN, who was the electrical engineer of the Alliance, and constructed the so long unrivalled magneto-electric machine belonging to this Company, died at Brussels at the age of seventy a few days ago.

ALL the obstacles which have prevented the reconstruction of the Sorbonne being accomplished, have been removed by M. Jules Ferry, and the work will begin immediately. The same may be said of the isolation of the Public Library of Paris, all the required expropriations having been decreed.

THE date for admission of exhibits to the International Exhibition of Electricity at Paris has been prolonged to April 15.

Monday and Tuesday, April 18 and 19, to Salisbury, StoneTHE Geologists' Association Easter Excursion will, be on henge, and Vale of Wardour.

COLONEL PARIS, the head of the Paris fire brigade, has concluded his report on the destruction of the Printemps Establishment by proposing that large warehouses be compelled to light by electricity. The burning of the Nice Theatre, which was occasioned by a gas explosion, has given a new importance to

that movement.

M. DE MERITENS has completed the construction of one of his magneto-electric engines intended for lighthouse illumination. An experimental trial took place on March 25 before MM. Becquerel, Cornu, Mascart, and other members of the Technical Commission of the International Exhibition. It was proved that with fifteen horse-power his machine illuminates at once more than thirty Jablochkoff lights, and that it could, at a moment's notice, be used in a regulator for marine purposes.

MR. THOMAS EDWARD, the Banff naturalist, has reprinted in a separate form some useful and interesting papers on the Protection of Wild Birds. The pamphlet is to be had at the Banffshire Journal Office.

THE additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the past week include an Egyptian Gazelle (Gazella dorcas) from Egypt, presented by the Earl of March, F.Z.S.; a Common Genet (Genetta vulgaris), South European, presented by the Rev. F. P. Voules; a Giant Toad (Bufo agua) from Brazil, presented by Mr. Carl Hagenbeck; a Long-snouted Snake (Passerita mycterizans) from India, presented by Mr. H. H. Black; an Amherst's Pheasant (Thaumalea amherstia) from Szechuen, China, a Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) from Australia, purchased; a Tiger (Felis tigris), a Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus), a Sambur Deer (Cervus aristotelis), born in the Gardens.

OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN

A NEW VARIABLE STAR.-On July 26, 27, and 29, 1783, D'Agelet observed a star which he twice estimated 6m., and on the last night 6'5m.; it is No. 5057-9 in Gould's reduced catalogue, the mean of the three observations giving for 1800, R. A. 19h. 23m. 47°575. and Decl. + 17° 19′ 42′′ 8. The only subsequent observation we have yet found of this star is in the Durchmusterung, where it is rated as low as 9'4m. ; there is consequently a high probability that it will prove to be a remarkable variable. The position brought up to the beginning of 1880 will be R.A. 19h. 27m. 22'1s., Decl. + 17° 29′ 28′′. D'Agelet's original observations will be found at pp. 542, 544, and 546 of the Histoire Céleste of Lalande.

MINIMA OF ALGOL, ETC., IN 1880.-Prof. Julius Schmidt has published his observations, or rather the results of his observations, of Algol and other variable stars, made at Athens during the past year. On comparing his epochs of minima with the formula in Prof. Schönfeld's last catalogue, it will be found that according to the most completely determined minima the calculation is too late by nearly half an hour. But the differences between calculation and observation are very irregular, so that if we take a mean of the whole, the true minimum would appear to be earlier than that computed by only nineteen minutes. The minima between August 28 and December 21 are here compared.

According to the observations of the same indefatigable astronomer Mira Ceti was at a maximum between July 20 and 25, but in 1880 it only attained about 4'2 m. A maximum of R Leporis occurred about November 9; the determination is not very certain. The intervals between maximum and minimum, and vice verså of a Herculis were as irregular as usual.

THE RED SPOT UPON JUPITER'S DISK.-Dr. Jedrzejewicz has published some inferences from observations for ascertaining the time of rotation of the eastern extremity of the large red spot upon the disk of Jupiter, made at his private observatory at Plonsk during the winter of 1880-81. The instrument employed is a refractor six-inches aperture, with powers 225 to 300. In December he measured the length of the spot 9"8, and considers that his own observations compared with those of Prof. Schmidt at Athens, indicate that the length of the spot remained unchanged during the winter. On this assumption he finds for the time of rotation 9h. 55m. 34°414s. ± 0.13s, by 174 rotations between November 25, 1880, and February 5, 1881. Prof. Schmidt from 1021 rotations between July 23, 1879, and September 17, 1880, obtained the value 9h. 55m. 34'422s. ± 0.055. for the middle of the spot. In 1862, by observations upon a spot which he says was much darker and a more favourable object for the purpose than the spots observed by Airy and Mädler in 1834-35, and which was not much larger than the shadow of the third satellite he had found for the time of rotation 9h. 55m. 25 684s. agreeing with the previously-determined values. While the period from observations of the red spot is 9s. greater, Prof. Schmidt remarks that it agrees very nearly with that already obtained by Mr. Pratt.

THE MINOR PLANETS.-It appears that the object detected by Herr Palisa at the new Observatory of Vienna on the 23rd of

last month, and which was announced as No. 220 of the smallplanet group, may prove to be No. 139 Fuewa, which had not been observed since 1874. It was discovered by the late Prof. Watson at Pekin on October 10 in that year, while he was engaged upon one of the United States expeditions for the observation of the transit of Venus, and as was reported at the time, without the aid of a chart of telescopic stars, but from his memory of their configuration about the particular spot occupied by the planet. It was observed on November 8 by Rümker at Hamburg, but the length of observation was not sufficient to determine the mean motion with any degree of accuracy: hence although the elements had been several times brought up to more recent dates by Watson, the planet had not been recovered up to last month.

By the last Berlin circular it would seem that Ismene will fall little short of Hilda in the length of its revolution, and these two minors will thus stand out as exceptional members of the group. By the latest elements the period of Hilda is 2860 days or 7.832 years, and that of Ismene 2854 days or 7.814 years. Calculation has assigned the shortest period to No. 149 Medusa, but this awaits confirmation, perhaps in the next summer, when the planet should again come into opposition according to the imperfect elements at present available.

PHYSICAL NOTES

M. PLANTAMOUR continues to study with his sensitive levels the phenomena of periodic rise and fall of the ground which he has observed in Switzerland. He believes he has established a connection between these periods and those of the changes of temperature of the earth's surface, there being an annual change of level in an east-west direction corresponding with the mean temperatures of the surface during the year.

M. ROSENSTIEHL concludes from his researches on the sensations of colour recently noticed that the three fundamental colour sensations of the Young-Helmholtz-Maxwell theory correspond to the following tints of the pure spectrum. Orange-red, threefourths of the distance from C to D amongst the Fraunhofer lines, a yellow-green three-quarters of the distance from D to E, and a blue situated at one-third from F towards G. The principle upon which this selection is made is that the selected tint fulfils the following conditions: (a) it is equidistant between two tints which are complementary to one another; (b) it produces with either of the other selected tints another colour having a minimum of white admixed with it. Thus the yellow-green chosen is midway between that yellow and that blue which produce the best white with one another, and it gives with the selected orange-red a yellow more intense than any known yellow pigment under equal illumination, and with the selected blue. gives a green more intense than the richest green pigment.

M. HENRI BECQUEREL observes that the specific magnetism of ozone exceeds that of oxygen, and is much greater than could be accounted for by the difference in density of these two allotropic forms of the gas.

IN view of recent terrible colliery explosions in Belgium, M. Cornet has called attention (in the Belgian Academy) to a possible interference of winds, blowing in an inclined direction, with the proper ventilation of mines. Most of the "fiery" Belgian mines have two shafts, one for raising the coal and for descent of air, which, passing along the galleries, is drawn up the other shaft by a ventilating engine. The orifice of the latter shaft is generally (unlike that of the other) unsheltered by buildings; it debouches directly in the air a little above the ground. Obviously, then, a strong wind, blowing with downward inclination towards this orifice, might seriously affect the ventilating action. It is noted that one explosion in Hainaut on November 19, 1880, followed a night of very high wind, which M. Cornet shows to have been capable of depressing ventilation considerably. Mines with large sections are more dangerous than others in atmospheric perturbations. The true remedy, however (in the author's opinion), is not increasing the resistance to the air-currents, but sheltering the orifices of the ventilating shafts against descending

winds.

IN a recent paper on the optical structure of ice (to the Freiburg Society of Naturalists) Prof. Klocke finds that while in the ice individuals the plane of the secondary axes is fixed by the position of the principal axis, they are subject to no law as to direction in that plane.

THE phenomenon of verglas occurred at Urbino in Italy twice in January; and from his observations of it Prof. Serpieri con

cludes (Real. Ist. Lomb. Rend.) that surfusion of the raindrops is not indispensable to its production. Surfusion indeed accelerates it, as do also violence of wind and intense cold; but a rain with temperature not so low as zero falling into an aircurrent in rapid motion and below zero gives the phenomenon. It is pointed out, however, that the mist which usually accompanies verglas being driven against objects by the wind, and its particles being in a state of surfusion (the temperature being below zero), probably contributes to the general result, helping to make the ice-layer regular and uniform. If the verglas be such that the drop freezes wholly at once, the latter has probably contained many small crystals of ice.

M. MERCADIER sums up his researches on Radiophony by saying that he believes that the phenomena are due to a vibratory movement set up by the alternate heating and cooling, due to the intermittent beams of heat-rays, of the gaseous layer adjacent to the solid surface at which the radiations are absorbed; being an anterior layer in the case of solid bodies, a posterior layer in the case of transparent bodies.

M. JANSSEN has succeeded in photographing the lumière cendrée, or "earth-shine" on the moon when three days old: in the photograph the "continents were to be distinguished clearly from the "seas." This disposes of the view sometimes advanced, and held, we believe, by some most eminent astronomers, that the new moon in the arms of the old" was an optical illusion.

66

PROF. D. W. BEETZ, of the Technical High School of Munich, wishes us to say that in the note (vol. xxiii. p. 442) on the mooulus of elasticity of rods of carbon, he, and not Herr Holtz, should have been mentioned as the author of the paper on the subject in Wied. Ann.

GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES

AT the meeting of the Geographical Society on Monday Mr. J. B. Minchin, who has spent some seven years in the country, read an excellent paper on Eastern Bolivia, which also included some observations on the Gran Chaco. After some preliminary remarks Mr. Minchin dwelt at length on the water-system of the country, and, speaking first of the lakes, he mentioned that between the Rivers Pilcomayo and Paraguay, in the unexplored Chaco, the Indians report the existence of a lake which no white man has ever yet seen, but which is perhaps near 22° S. lat. The rivers belong to Amazon and Plate systems, and with the exception of the Paraguay and the Itenez, they mostly have their sources among the highest summits of the Andes. The Parapite, Mr. Minchin added, is the most southerly affluent of the Amazons, which in some maps has been made to flow across the Chaco into the Paraguay. The Pilcomayo also does not, as has been thought, receive any tributaries on its course through the Chaco, so far as can be learned from the Indians. Mr. Minchin afterwards alluded to his expedition over the Matto Grossi Mountains, which he succeeded in crossing for the first time. The latter part of the paper was largely devoted to the animal and vegetable productions of Eastern Bolivia and to the commercial condition of the country. The discussion which followed turned chiefly on the route of the future into Bolivia, whether it would be most advantageous to follow the Paraguay route or develop a new one by the Madera.

MR. E. G. RAVENSTEIN has nearly completed for the Council of the Geographical Society the large map of Eastern Equatorial Africa, on which he has been engaged for nearly three years under the direction of their Scientific Purposes Committee. The original drawings will be reduced before they are engraved, and the map when published will be in twenty-four sheets, and on a scale of 1 : 1,000,000. It will take in the lake region, the Upper Congo, and the Upper Nile, and on the east coast will extend from Somali Land to a little south of the Zambesi, the precise limits of the map being from 10° N. to 20° S. lat., and from 25° to 52° E. long. A very complete bibliography of authorities, compiled pari passu with the map, will be published afterwards.

MR. BROUMTON, an agent of the China Inland Mission at Kweiyang-fu, in the province of Kweichow, has lately sent home an account of a visit which he had paid by invitation to the Miao-tsze tribes a short distance off. He had been told by one of them, from whom he had been learning something of the language, that in the third moon of the year his people had large gatherings in the hills, and was asked to be present at these

festivities. He accordingly went and had an excellent opportu. nity for observing the manners and customs of this section of this comparatively unknown people. He describes their dress, the character of the festivities witnessed, the singular musical instruments used, &c. The particular tribes visited by Mr. Broumton are known as the Black (from the colour of their clothes) and the Ka-teo tribes, and live near Hwangping-chow.

MR. CARL BOCK is leaving for Siam next week, where he intends to make an excursion into the interior. His book, "The Headhunters of Borneo," will be published shortly by Messrs. Sampson Low and Co.

WE hear that Mr. Edward Whymper, who has already given an account of some phases of his South American journey to the Alpine Club and the Society of Arts, will read a paper on the Andes of Ecuador before the Geographical Society on May 9.

PRIZES OF THE PARIS ACADEMY OF
SCIENCES

Α1
T the public séance of the Academy on March 14 the
annual distribution of prizes took place. While many of
these prizes are offered for particular subjects, others are devoted
to rewarding the most important advances made during the year
in special departments of science.

The Grand Prize of the Mathematical Sciences was awarded to M. Halphen for work on the theory of linear differential equations.

In astronomy Mr. Stone receives the Lalande prize for his stellar researches, following those of Abbé de Lacaille, at the Cape of Good Hope; and the Valz prize goes to M. Tempel for his observations on comets. M. Vinot's labours in starting and editing Le Ciel are recognised by the award of the Tremont prize.

The Montyon prize of the mechanical arts is given to M. Cornut for his study of the faults of iron plates; the Poncelet prize to M. Leauté for various works; while a recompense of 1500 francs on the Bordin foundation is given to M. Lan for improved modes of combustion, diminishing the trouble and harm from smoke, &c. (in steel heating). The extraordinary prize of 6000 francs (for improving the efficacy of naval forces), and the Plumey prize, are not awarded.

In physics we find a recompense of 3000 francs given to M. Ader, on the Vaillant foundation, for improvements in phonetic telegraphy. The grand prize for researches on elasticity of crystalline bodies is not awarded.

The Jecker prize goes to M. Demarçay for important work in organic chemistry; the Gegner prize to M. Jacquelain for skill in preparing a large number of substances in a pure state, &c.

Two prizes on the Bordin foundation are awarded in geology, one to M. Gosselet for a geological sketch of the North of France, the other to MM. Falsan and Chantre for their geological monography of ancient glaciers and erratic deposits in the middle of the Rhone Valley. Recompenses on the Gay foundation are awarded to MM. Delage and Chevremont for observations on movements of the coast-line in France.

In medicine and surgery three Montyon prizes are awarded: one to Dr. Charcot for his work on localisation of disorders of

the brain; another to Dr. Sappery for researches on the lymphatic apparatus of fishes; the third to Dr. Jullien for important medical researches. On the Bréant foundation M. Colin is awarded 5000 francs for physiological researches. Dr. Segond receives the Godard prize for an important work in surgery; Dr. Quinand the Barbier prize for researches on the quantity of oxygen in human blood in health and in disease. The Dusgate prize (having regard to prevention of premature burial) is not given, but MM. Onimus, Peyrand, and Le Bon are recompensed The Boudet prize is awarded to Prof.

for their researches. Lister.

In experimental physiology the Montyon prize is given to M. Bonnier for researches on the nectaries and colours of plants. The Fons-Melicocq prize for botanical research in the north of France is gained by M. de Vicq; and M. de la Chapelle receives 1000 francs on the Desmazières foundation for studies on French cryptogams.

In anatomy and zoology the Grand Prize with reference to distribution of marine animals on the French coast is withheld,