Miscellanies. 197 
13. The Georgics—The Royal Academy of Sciences, Belles 
Lettres and Arts of Lyons, offer a gold medal of six hundred francs, 
founded by M. Bonafous, to be decreed to the author who shall pre- 
sent “a good translation of the Georgics, made or selected by him- 
self, and enriched with better notes and commentaries, better digest- 
ed, upon (la science agronomique) the theory of agriculture, so as 
to furnish to young men studying the Latin language the means of 
acquiring correct notions upon this science, so useful and so 
much neglected in education.” 
The works should be received by April 1st, 1834, and should be 
sent, free of postage, with some mark at their head, which is repeat- 
ed in a sealed note, containing also their names, quality and resi- 
dence, to M. Dumas, perpetual secretary, to the adjunct secretaries, 
or to any member of the Academy. 
14, Epidemics in Paris.—M. Villermé, upon epidemics, consid- 
ering those years as epidemical, for a city of the size of Paris, when 
the mortality exceeds by a sixteenth that of the year previous or suc- 
ceeding, gives the' following table for Paris. 
For thirteen years of the 17th century, 6 epidemic years. 
From 1709 to 1720, (twelve years,) 5 — 
172) ©1780," es = 2 
1781 * 1740, ‘- - 
1741 “ 1750, - - 
PTGES®: T76G, 88 P 
1761 “ 1770, - baci 
W771 4780 j22 - 
I PT8T SE 9790, - 3 
179148 1900/2 (fe ois 
1609 1 1910;0) al exc 
2O1LT 1820, = - 
1821 “ 1830, 
wmaownoanhAAL HR aA 
Bib. Univ. Jan. 1833. 
15. Permanence of letters written upon a metallic surface after 
its fusion.—M. Bellani has made the following curious experiment. 
Melt, in a small crucible, an alloy of lead and tin, and withdraw the 
metallic cone, after cooling. On writing, with common ink, upon 
the metallic surface, which was in contact with the side of the cru- 
cible, and remelting the ingot and cooling it again, the very same 
