ON THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 1.1 



vide instruction in various branches of Art for the mid die and upper classes 

 of society; besides which a system is now being organized for the general 

 diffusion of instruction in elementary drawing throughout the country. 

 It is the desire of Government that the industrial classes should be educated 

 in a knowledge of Art in the most complete manner which can be devised, 

 at a charge within their means. To effect this important object, an attempt 

 is about to be made to disseminate elementary instruction in parish and in 

 other schools, and to make elementary drawing apart of general education, 

 concurrently with writing." 



Encouragement of the fine arts, however, and an adaptation of their 

 principles to the wants of every day life, are not confined to the refined and 

 enlightened nations of Europe and America. During the past year, that 

 munificent Parsee, Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, has given 10,000 to 

 Government, for the purpose of endowing a school of design at Bombay. 



The committee of the American Institute, appointed to award the pre- 

 miums offered by Mr. Ray, of New York, for improvements in railroad 

 mechanism, have reported a? follows : There were four prizes offered; two 

 of which only have been decided upon, viz., "the railroad brake," for 

 which the prize of $100 has been awarded to Mr. T. A. Stevens, of Burling- 

 ton, Vermont; and the prize for a " night seat for cars," $300, which has 

 been awarded to Samuel Hickox, of Buffalo, N. Y. The prize of $1,500, 

 for the best invention to prevent railroad collisions, and the breaking of 

 railroad axles, and the prize of 3800 for the best invention to exclude dust 

 from cars, they did not decide upon. 



At the Annual distribution of prizes at the French Academy of Sciences, 

 the Lalande prize for astronomy was divided between Mr. Hind, of London, 

 M. Gasparis of Naples, M. Luther of Blik, near Dusseldorf, M. Chacornac 

 of Marseilles, and M. Herman Goldschmidt of Paris. The prize for ex- 

 perimental physiology was awarded to Dr. Budge, an English physician, 

 and Prof. Wallon, of Bonn, for discoveries establishing with certainty facts 

 of a nature to throw light on the functions of the ganglionary system. 



At the Annual meeting of the Royal Society, London, November 30, 1853, 

 the Copley Medal was awarded to Prof. Dove, of Berlin, for his work on 

 the distribution of heat over the earth's surface; and the Royal Medal to 

 Mr. Charles Darwin, the well-known naturalist and traveller, for his works 

 on Natural History and Geology. The Earl of Rosse was re-elected Presi- 

 dent of the Society, and Col. Sabine, Treasurer. 



A National Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations was opened at Dub- 

 lin, Ireland, in May, 1853, and continued throughout the season. This Ex- 

 hibition owed its origin principally to the efforts of Mr. Dargan, an Irish 

 gentleman, who advanced, in aid of the same, nearly 100, 000. The 

 whole affair was entirely successful, and reflects much honor on all con- 

 cerned in the work. 



