January 13, 19 16] 



NATURE 



549 



appointed to report upon possible ways dhd means of 

 furthering the claims of school scierite, and' of raising 

 ii from its present position, in vifew of the fact that 

 \\\*- stAtus of science in the public schools has so im- 

 'lant a relation to the rfecogrtltion of science by the 

 lion's leaders. 



I ho Association of Teachers in Techriical Institutions 

 inged a discussion on "Technical Education : the 

 tr and After," which formed part qf the great con- 

 I nee at the University of London, The attendance 

 I- relatively small; a fact quite creditable to the 

 -->ociation, as the absentees were all engaged on 

 technical work of value and urgency in connection 

 with the war. Nevertheless the quality of the papers 

 and speeches evoked justified the organisers of the 

 eting — they will be. read both in England and 

 road in the general report of the Conference. Mr. 

 .uker North (Bradford Technical College) reviewed 

 ilio situation, laying emphasis on the necessity for 

 laintaining the efficiency of technical Institutions If 

 wish to succeed In the coming industrial war. He 

 i\ocatcd more central organisation, not only in in- 

 action and research, but also in commerce and 

 iustry. Referring to the Board of Education, he 

 terated Mr. Abbott's warning that any diminution 

 expenditure which Interferes with., the efficiency of 

 hnical education will handicap .the; nation In the 

 ;ning industrial struggle. .. ., , 



Mr. James Baker vividly sketched the contrast, be- 

 •en England, with miserably limited technical de- 

 j.artments and slum-infected cities, and Bohemia, with 

 splendid scientific institutions, rapidly advancing In- 

 dustries, and consequent abolition of poverty. In- 

 cidentally he referred to the high state Qf general 

 culture and enlightenment In IBohemla, where, the 

 people wish to be on England's side in the war. 



Dr. C. Dor^e considered the possibilities of indus- 

 trial research work in technical Institutions. The re- 

 markable applications of science In the war have 

 opened the eyes of manufacturers, and many firms for 

 the first time have employed a chemist. What is 

 more, they have admitted that scientific methods pay 

 better, and that Government specifications are passed 

 more easily with a chemist than without one. Those 

 firms are not likely to do without such trained assist- 

 ance In the future. Seeing that instruction must form 

 a large part of the work of technical Institutions, it 

 Is recommended that a director of research should find 

 out problems, obtain material, and apportion the work 

 among the Institutes according to their capacity. Such 

 centrally directed work \s now being carried out In 

 making drugs, and Is quite successful. 



The Science Teachers' Association also held a 

 successful meeting, the description of which must be 

 deferred. Efforts to broaden the membership and 

 widen the work of this society are being considered. 

 The Council of the Association will do well to throw- 

 its energies at once into the work of expansion. 



The striking vigour and success of the whole 

 Conference of Associations demonstrate that teachers 

 are alive to the national position. Their united efforts 

 are needed to make clear to the public, and to persons 

 In high authority, that upon education, and especially 

 on scientific education, depends our progress towards 

 a wiser England. G. F. Daniell. 



I 



PRIZE AWARDS OF THE PARTS ACADEMY 

 OF SCIENCES, 191 5. 



Mathematics. — The Francoeur prize is awarded to 

 Joseph Marty for his work on the theory of integral 

 equations. The Bordin prize Is postponed to 1916. 



Mechanics. — No award was made of the Motityon 

 prize ; the Poncelet prize is accorded to Charles Rabut, 



NO. 241 1, VOL. q61 



for his work as a whole; Umberto Puppini receives 

 the Bolleau prize, for his work in hydraulics. 



Astronomy. — The Lalande prize to Lucleh d'Azam- 

 buja, for his Important contribution to the daily 

 measurement of the upper layer of the solar atmo- 

 sphere and to the recognition 'of the action exercised 

 by the magnetic ffeld on band spectra; the Valz prize 

 to .-Xrmand Lambert, for his work as an observer and 

 in applied mathematics ; the G. de Pont^coulant prize 

 to Louis Fabry, for his researches on the asteroids ;. 

 no award of the Pierre Guzman prize Is made. 



Geography. — The Tchihatchef prize to J. Couyat- 

 Barthoux, for his geological and geographical work 

 on the Sinai and Suez Canal regions; the Gay prize 

 to Henri Lecomte, for his studies on the distribution 

 of plants in Indo-China. 



Navigation. — The Extraordinary prize of 6000 francs 

 is divided between Maurice Marchand (3000 francs), for 

 his memoir on the protection of the submarine against 

 mines, Jean Lorf6vre (1500 francs), for his essay on the 

 use of Diesel motors, and Louis Jauch and Auguste 

 Masmejean (1500 francs jointly), for their work on 

 marine engines; the Plumey prize Is not awarded. 



Physics.— The Hebert prize to Michael Idvofsky 

 Pupin, for the whole of his work in applied electricity ; 

 the Hyghfes prize to R. Marcelln, for his theoretical 

 and experimental memoir entitled " Cdntrlbutlcin to the 

 Study of Physico-Chemical Kinetids";' the H. de 

 Parvrlle prize to Jean Blein, for his cbntfibutlons to 

 the thermodynarhics of gases and detectors In wireless 

 telegraphy; the Gaston Plants prize to Marcel Moulin, 

 for his researches on the positive rays of ra<liiim, ionisa- 

 tlon, radiation of black bGdies, and other interesting 

 questions of moderrt physics ; the Pierson-Perrin prize to 

 Maurice de Broglle, for his studies on Ionised gases, the 

 Brownian movement, and the diffraction of the X-rays. 

 Chemistry. — The Jecker prize to' Gabriel Bertrand, 

 for his work In organic and blologleal chemistry; the 

 CahourS prize to Paul Viguler, for his researches on 

 tetrolic aldehyde and some of Its derivatives; the 

 Montyon prize (unhealthy trades) to Ahdr^ Kling 

 (2500 francs), for his work In the Paris Municipal 

 Laboratory; honourable mentions (1500 francs), to 

 Daniel Florentin and Rene Schmutz (1000 francs); the 

 Houzeau prize to Paul Pascal, for the whole of his 

 work In inorganic and organic chemlstr}'. 



Mineralogy and Geology. — The Delesse prize to 

 Albert de Romeu, for his petrographic researches, and 

 an encouragement (1000 francs) to .\. Laville, for his 

 researches on fossil vertebrates ; the Joseph Labb^ prize 

 to Rene Tronquoy, for his studies on tin ore deposits ; 

 the Victor Raulin prize to Louis Doncieux, for his 

 palaeontological researches; no award of the Cuvier 

 prize Is made, and the funds will be used for charitable 

 purposes. 



Botany. — The Desmazi^res prize to Giovanni Battista 

 de Toni and AchlUe Forti, for their contributions to the 

 Mediterranean algological flora; the Montagne prize to 

 Fernand Camus; the de Coincy prize to Pierre Choux, 

 for the whole of his botanical work ; the Thore prize 

 to Isidore Doln ; the de Rufz de Lavison prize to Paul 

 Becquerel, for his researches on the life of seeds. 



Anatomy and Zoology. — The Savigny prize to Pierre 

 Fauvel, for his researches on annelids obtained in the 

 voyages of the Hirondelle and the Princess Alice ; the 

 da Gama Machado prize is not awarded. 



Medicine and Surgery. — Montyon prizes : A prize of 

 2500 francs to Francois Maignon, for his researches 

 on the toxicity of albumenoid materials ; an honour- 

 able mention of 1500 francs to Emile Terroine, for his 

 work on pancreatic secretion ; citations to Eugene 

 Olivier and Dr. GInestoux : the Barbier prize to 

 Charles Dassonville and Cli^ry Riviere, for their 

 memoir on epizootic abortion in mares : verv honour- 

 able mentions to Charles Besnoit and V. Robin, for 

 their works on cutaneous sarcosporidiosis of the ox. 



