December 28. 1899] 



NATURE 



21 1 



are now being made. There is an ingenious combination of 

 motor generators, which can be driven either mechanically or 

 electrically. The switchboard and starting appliances for this 

 combination of motor generators were designed and made in 

 the institute. 



A small workshop, with electrically driven tools, affords a 

 good scope for the construction of original apparatus. Only 

 typical instruments and standards have been purchased for the 

 physical and electrical laboratories ; the great bulk of the instru- 

 ments and fittings have been both designed and made up in 

 the polytechnic itself. Among the more recent pieces of 

 original apparatus of home manufacture may be mentioned (l) 

 a modified form of Michelson's interferometer, and another 

 adaptation of the same for measuring to a millionth of an inch, 

 and (2) an electro-magnetic speed indicator for use with 

 dynamos and motors. Examples of original apparatus made 

 at the South-Western Polytechnic have been exhibited at the 

 Royal Society, the Royal Institution, and the Institution of 

 Civil Engineers. 



Good research work has been accomplished, including a 

 series of tests on insulating materials, investigations on selenium 

 cells, the effects of repeated heating and cooling on the mag- 

 netic properties of wrought iron, the relation between the 

 thickness of metallic surfaces and the phase change of the re- 

 flected beam, tests with the Nernst lamp, and the negative re- 

 sistance offered by certain metallic oxides. The results in the 

 last piece of work have been published in the Electrician. 



Other Points of Interest. 

 Several general considerations must be taken into account 

 before the educational position of the South-Western Poly- 

 technic can be rightly estimated. The recreative side of the 

 polytechnic is not considered of prime importance, , and the 

 tendency seems to be to minimise its influence. In this respect 

 it departs somewhat from the general type of polytechnic in 

 the metropolis. There is also a laudable desire to initiate new 

 departments as the need for them becomes evident, so that the 

 institution may keep in touch with all the needs of the in- 

 habitants in its neighbourhood. In this connection may be 

 cited the work now being done on the women's side of the 

 institute in the direction of offering ladies of the middle classes 

 such instruction in domestic science as will make them inde- 

 pendent of servants. Finally, it should be borne in mind that 

 in more than one department the work being done is of quite 

 as advanced a character as that in some university colleges. 



A. T. Simmons. 



PRIZE LIST OF THE PARIS ACADEMY OF 

 SCIENCES. 



A T the Annual Meeting of the Academy, held on December i8, 

 "^ M. von Tieghem gave his Presidential Address, and an- 

 nounced the prizes awarded for 1899. In his address, the 

 President reviewed the scientific progress for the year, and then 

 gave a short account of the life-work of the Members, Foreign 

 Associates, and Correspondents who have died during the past 

 year, MM. Naudin, Friedel, Frankland, Bunsen, Richards, 

 Wiedemann, Marsh, Flower, and Riggenbach. 



The prizes were awarded as follows : in Geometry — the 

 Bbrdin Prize is not awarded, but M. Jules Drach receives an 

 honourable mention, the Francoeur Prize to M. Le Cordier, 

 with an honourable mention to M. Le Roy, the Poncelet Prize 

 to M. Cosserat, for the whole of his contributions to geometry 

 and mechanics. 



In Mechanics : the Extraordinary Prize of 6,000 francs to 

 M. Bailies for his treatise on the Geometry of indicator diagrams, 

 MM. Charbonnier and Galy-Ache, and Perrin, receiving sup- 

 plementary prizes, the Montyon Prize to M. Partiot, the Plumey 

 Prize to M. Bonjour for his inventions in connection with steam 

 engines, and the Fourneyron Prize to M. A. Rateau for his 

 theoretical and experimental researches on the theory of 

 pumps. 



In Astronomy : the Lalande Prize is awarded to Mr. W. R. 

 Brooks for his important discoveries in connection with comets, 

 and the Valz Prize to M. Nyren, of Pulkova, for his work in 

 sidereal astronomy. 



In Physics : M. Blondlot receives the La Caze Prize for the 

 whole of his researches in experimental physics. 



In Statistics : the Montyon Prize is divided equally between 

 the Office central des (Euvres de Bienfaisance, for the memoirs 



NO. 1574, VOL. 61] 



entitled " La France Charitable " and " Paris Charitable," and 

 MM. Dumesnil and Mangeftot, for a complete economic study 

 of the trades, income, and mode of living of the inhabitants of 

 Pointe d'lvry. 



In Chemistry : the Jecker Prize is given to M. Maurice 

 Hanriot for the whole of his contributions to organic chemistry, 

 the Wilde Prize to Dr. P. Zeeman for his important discoveries 

 of the relations between the magnetic field and the nature and 

 polarisation of light rays, and the La Caze Prize to M. Engel. 



In Mineralogy and Geology : the Delesse Prize is awarded 

 to M. Kilian for his studies in the French Alps, and the Fon- 

 tanne Prize to M. Emile Haug for his palreontological studies. 



In Botany : M. I'Abbe Hue receives the Desmazieres Prize 

 for his work on the anatomy and classification of the Lichens, 

 M. Leuduger-Fortmorel an honorable mention for his memoir 

 on the diatoms of the East Coast of Africa, MM. Jules Cardot 

 and Heriband Joseph Montagne Prizes, the Thore Prize being 

 divided between MM. Parmentier and Bouilhac. 



In Anatomy and Zoology: the Grand Prize of the Physical 

 Sciences is not awarded ; the Bordin Prize is accorded to M. 

 Vire for his memoir on the subterranean fauna of France, and 

 the Savigny Prize to M. Guillaume Grandidier for his researches 

 in Madagascar. 



In Medicine and Surgery : Montyon Prizes are given to 

 MM. Nocard and Leclainche for their book on microbial dis- 

 eases, to Prof. Mayet for his " Treatise on Medical Diagnosis," 

 and to M. A. B. Marfan for his work on the treatment and 

 feeding of young infants. MM. Lejars, Fournier and Gamier 

 receive mentions, and MM. Guillemonat and Labbe citations. 

 The Barbier Prize is divided between MM. Houdas and Joanin, 

 Lapicque, and Schlagdenhauffen. Since no work has been 

 received meriting the Breant Prize for cure or treatment of 

 Asiatic cholera, the Commission has decided to divide the sum 

 accumulated (6000 francs) between M. Vaillard, and MM. 

 Courn.ont and Doyon for important work on the pathogeny 

 and pathology of tetanus, MM. H. de Brun, CH. Besnoit, and 

 J. Guille receiving mentions. The Godard Prize is awarded to 

 M. Pasteau, the Serres Prize to M. Roule, with honourable 

 mention to Prof. J. Beard, M. Maurice Caullery, and M. Felix 

 Mesnil, the Chaussier Prize to M. Charrin, the Mege Prize to 

 MM. Felix Terrier and Marcel Baudoin for their memoir on in- 

 testinal suture, the Baron Larrey Prize to MM. Arnaud and 

 Lafeuille for their memoir on Tuberculosis in the Army, the 

 Bellion Prize being divided between M. Cestan and MM. Crespin 

 and Sergent. 



In Physiology : the Montyon Prize for Experimental Physio- 

 logy is given to Prof. Le Hello for his studies on the locomotion 

 of the horse, M. Quinton receiving honourable mention, the La 

 Caze Prize (Physiology) to Prof. Morat for his contributions to 

 Experimental Physiology, and the Pourat Prize to MM. Weiss 

 and Carvalho for their paper on the specific characters of mus- 

 cular contraction in the animal series, the Philipeaux Prize not 

 being awarded this year. In Physical Geography, M. Albert 

 Vayssiere receives the Gay Prize. 



Of the General Prizes, the Arago Medal was awarded to Sir 

 G. G. Stokes on the occasion of his jubilee at Cambridge. 

 The Montyon Prize (unhealthy trades) is given to M. E. Collin 

 for his memoir on the microscopy of foods of vegetable origin, 

 M. P. Razous receiving a mention. M. Louis Ducos de 

 Hauron is awarded the Tremont Prize for his invention of 

 photography in colours by the method of superposed coloured 

 images, M. Vaschy, the Gegner Prize, M. Moutard, the Petit 

 D'Ormoy Prize (Mathematics), M. Alfred Giard, the Petit 

 D'Ormoy Prize (Natural Sciences), M. Verbeck, the Tchihat- 

 chef Prize, M. Maurice Leblanc, the Gaston Plante Prize, M. 

 Rene Metzner, the Cahours Prize, M. Lecaillon, the Saintour 

 Prize, the Pasteur Institute, the Jean-Jacques Berger Prize, M. 

 J. P. Siegler, the Prize founded by Mme. la Marquise De 

 Laplace, the Prize founded by M. Felix Rivot being divided 

 between MM. Siegler, Heurteau, Aron, and Becquerel. 



RESULTS OF RECENT SOUNDINGS IN THE 



PACIFIC.^ 

 /^APT. MOSER and I decided not to make any soundings 

 ^-^ nor do any deep-sea work until we had passed beyond the 

 lines of soundings already run by the Albatross and Thetis 

 between California and the Hawaiian Islands. 



1 Abridged from a letter received by the U.S. Fish Commission from 

 Prof. Altxander Agasslz, and published n Science of December 8. 



