lo'*^ 



NATURE 



[J INK 6, 1895 



many illustrations of the processes employed in the extraction 

 ami treatment of mineraLs or ores, and of the appHcation of 

 resulting jiroducis to human arts and industries. 



.\n immense amount of material, illustrative of the botany and 

 forestry of all parts of the world, came into the possession of the 

 museum at the close of the Exix>sition. These exhibits are 

 gradually Iwing arranged in get^raphical sequence, but some 

 time must elai^se Iiefore all the sjwcimens can be fully identified 

 and lal veiled. 



The Ilejxirtment of Zoolog)' includes all the classes of 

 animals except birds, and six large halls of the museum building 

 are set ajart for the specimens belonging to it. The movmted 

 collection of birds in the Department of Ornithology is essen- 

 tially one of comparative ornithology, in which the bird fauna of 

 the world is represented by some 650 species. North American 

 bird-life is at present only represented by some 150 species out 

 of s jKissible S25. -Vmong the treasures of which the museum 

 can Uiast. however, is a pair of the now (probably) extinct 

 Labrador Duck ^Catitptotainius Lahi\uiorius), 



The extensive exhibits illustrating the archieology and eth- 

 nology of Amerii-a. brought ti>gether by Prof F.W. Putnam, were 

 transferred 10 the museum at the close of the Ex|x)sition. -A 

 number of other very important collections, representing primi- 

 tive culture in many widely separated regions of the world, were 

 also f)blained. Belonging to the Dcixirtment of .Anthroixilogy 

 are psycholc^ical and physical lalioratories. and collections of 

 craniccaits, iVc. . illu.strating the physical characteristics of man. 



During the Kxixvsition a great group f>f exhibits had been 

 brought together within the i)e|iartmenl of Transportation, to 

 illustrate the evolution of the carrying industry, beginning with its 

 inception in remote times, and extending down to the present 

 day. These exhibits were transferred !•> the museum building, 

 and l.irgely augmented by collections from other departments. 

 All of this material, together with a number of exhil»its illus- 

 trating other industries of especial imixirtance to civilised man, 

 including ceramics, the textile art, the leather indu.stry, jewel- 

 lery, A:c.. have been brought together in a Department of Indus- 

 tries. The collections in this de|jartmenl have been arranged 

 to show , as far as possible, the more imiJortant steps which have i 

 led to improvement in handiwork, or pr<5gress in the invention 

 of those implements, machines, and processes which have proved 

 to \x imiMirtant factors in the world's material development. , 



Although bul a few months have elapsed since the doors of [ 

 the museum were publicly thrown o|ieii, a course of popular 

 lectures have been inaugurated, a publication series established, 

 and several scientific exix^ditions .sent into the field for auginent- 

 ing its coUcclions. In these and other directions, the I-'ield 

 Colundiiaii .Museum apjwars to Ix- advancing along the jiath 

 marked out for it, and performing its part in adding to the 

 wealth of Western civilisation and culture. 



PRIZE SL/iJECTS OF THE FRENCH SOCI^T^ 

 lyENCO I RA CEMENT. 



'T'HE prices and prize subjects of the French .Societe d'Kn- 

 ■*■ couragemcnl pour I'indu.strie natinnale. for 1S96 ami 1897, 

 are descrilted in the Hulit-tin of the .Srx'iety. The S<iciety"s 

 I'lrami Prize of 12,000 francs will be given this year to the author 

 of the rlisc^ivery most useful tr) French industry. The following 

 list shows the arr.tngenienls with reganl \\< the prizes of ihe two 

 succcc<ling years :^ 



1896. 



Grand medal to the author, of any nnlionality. of works that 

 have exercised ihe greatest influence on Ihe progress of French 

 mechanical arts during the preceding six years. 



The Henri (liffard prize of 6000 frnncs for signal services to 

 French industry*. The I'armentier prize of 1000 fnincs fi»r 

 researches tendmg to improve the material fir processes of agri- 

 culture and alimentary mdustries. The Meslens prize of 500 

 francs for ihe .lulhor of .an applicttion of physics or chemistry 

 to clenri< ii). Imllislics. or hygiene. 



In the -ertiiin of Mechanical .\rts, a prize of 3000 francs is 

 offered li.r ihe luM motor fed with S'lmc conmiercial oil. Other 

 prizes ,\%K : 3000 francs for an engine 'if from 25 to loo horse- 

 power, using a«n maximum, when working, 7J kilogrammes of 

 Mean) per hour nml |>cr indicated horse-|Kiwer : 2000 francs lo 

 the manufariurer who fir^l pr<xluccs, mechanically, linen threads 

 (if whir h .11 least 100,000 metres go lo one kilognimme, or, in 

 Ihc ctiie of henij), 15,000 metres per kilogramme: 2000 francs 

 for an inve«ligntion, or n melho<l lending to prevent, or at least 



NO. 1336. VOL. 52] 



re<luce in amount, the leakages, known as "fuiles aux tubes," in 

 marine Ixiilers : looo francs for the best memoir on the cost 

 price of the motive power of steam : 2000 francs for a small 

 motor suitable for a home workshop, and which will work 

 by the use of some simple jxiwer available in the house, or by 

 energy transmitted from a central station ; 3000 francs forimprove- 

 ments in the pr<x:esses of retting linen and hemp in industrial use. 

 The prizes offered in Ihe section of Chemical .\rts are : 1000 

 francs for the utilisation of waste products : 2000 francs for a 

 work or memoir of use to chemical or melallurgical industry ; 

 2000 francs for an experimental stutly of the (physical or 

 mechanical jiroperties of one or more metals or alloys, selected 

 from those which are in current use : 2000 francs for a new 

 prtx;ess for ihe production of fuming sulphuric acid, or sulphuric 

 anhydride ; 2000 francs for an improvement in the manufacture 

 of chlorine: 1000 francs for the discovery of a new alloy useful 

 to the arts : 2000 francs for a scientific study of combustion in 

 the furnaces used for the production of gas : 2000 fntnc* 

 for an investigation of the expansion, elasticity, and 

 tenacity of ceramic clays and coverings : 1000 francs for 

 the substitution of sulphuric acid in dyeing, and especially in 

 silk dyeing, by another com|xnind which will give to the 

 fibres the desired stiffness, without exercising any destructive 

 action : 2000 francs for an investigation of the physical and 

 mechanical properties of glass ; 2000 francs for the discover)' 

 of pr(»cesses capalile of yieUling. by certain chemical changes, 

 usefvd t>rganic protiucts. such as ipiinine, cane-sugar, \c. : 2000 

 francs for an invesligalion on an iiulustrial process of which Ihe 

 theory is but imperfectly known : 2000 francs for the productioa 

 of cast steel or iron having useful properties, by Ihe incorpora- 

 tion of a ftireign substance. 



In Economic .\rts the follow ing are the prizes and subjects. A 

 prize of 2000 francs for the invention of a new process in which at 

 least 0'8oo kilogrammes of petroleum can be u.sed without ilanger,. 

 as a source of light or heat, either in industry or in domestic 

 economy : 2000 francs for the discovery of methods to diminish 

 the number of chimney fires, and reduce the danutge which 

 results from them : 2000 francs for an incandescent electric 

 lamp of one-tenth canille power when a current of 0"05 annx're 

 is ]>;i.ssing through it at a potential of too volts. 



In .Vgriculture the prizes and subjects are as follows: — 20CX> 

 , francs for the lies! investigation of the comparative physical and 

 chemical constitution of the soils of one of the natural or agri- 

 cultural regions of France : 1500 francs for the best varieties of 

 barley for brewing : 3000 francs for Ihe re-establishment of 

 vineyards on chalk soils : 1500 francs for the inlroduclion andi 

 culture, on a large scale, of a new forage plant : 2000 francs for 

 the best stuily of the culture of the vine in various regions c> 

 France, and of the inllvience of various processes of vinificatiom 

 on the (jualily of wine. 



.\ ])rize of 1000 francs is offered for the discovery of a plastic 

 material, similar in appearance to some stone, marble, or brick, 

 anil hanl enough to be used either for the insides or the oulsides. 

 of houses : 1000 francs for the discovery of a process to prevent 

 woods used by carpenters and cabinet-makers ironi dtfornialions 

 by atmospheric influences : 1000 francs for the author of the 

 best memoir cm some practical process other than a chemictl 

 process, and ca|)able of lieing applied in the workshop, for the 

 detection of itdulteraled Portland cement. 



1897. 



.V prize of 2000 francs is offereil for improvements in the 



methods of grinding grain: anil a prize of 2000 francs for a 



motor weighing less than fifty kilogrammes per horse-|»wer. 



This prize IS offered with the idea of furthering the problem of 



aerial navigation. .\ second prize, having the same object,. 



' is for a study of the coetficients necesstiry lo the mechanical cal- 



, culalion of an aerial machine. There is also a prize of 3000 



, francs for improvements in the manufacture of permanent mag- 



I nets; and prizes of 3000 francs for an investigation of alcoholic 



ferments, and 2000 francs for the best investigation of the deteriora- 



I lion of cider, and the means lo prevent the changes to which 



' the loss of vivacity is due. 



The prizes are open tn in\estigators of any nationality, but 

 , the memoirs, and descriplionsof inventions, should be written ini 

 French. .Mixlelb. memoirs, descriptions, and specimens intendedl 

 to coiniK'le for prizes must be sent to the Secretarial dc la 

 Sociijte d'Encourtigemenl pour rinduslrie nntionale, 44 rue dc 

 Kennes, Paris. Competilors for the prizes of 1896 must send in 

 liefore the end of Ihe preseiil year : the latest time for entering, 

 memoirs, S:c., for the 1897 competition is the end of 1896. 



