January 15, 1903I 



NATURE 



259 



The author and Mr. Curtis spent four nights (June 17-21) 

 at Morne Rouge, and veiled the crater on June 18 and 20. 

 They leli then and told the people that there was great danger 

 to the town in case of succeeding great eruptions, and they saw 

 no reason to suppose that the activity of the volcano was lessen- 

 ing. It was evident that, if the inner cone kept on increasing in 

 height until it considerably overtopped the eastern rim, or, if 

 the greater activity shifted to the eastern vent within the crater 

 and behind the wall formed by the inner cone, the great south- 

 western gash and its cliffs on the north would lose their directive 

 influence, and the force of the explosions would be expended 

 radially in all directions. The early telegraphic reports of the 

 eruption of August 30 stated that the remains of Morne 

 Lacroix had been blown away, which indicated that the 

 violent activity had shifted to the east. Later and authentic 

 reports by Prof. Heilprin made it clear that Morne Lacroix had 

 not suffered much additional damage, and his photographs 

 taken after that eruption show the top of the inner cone well 

 above the crater rim. Hence the former supposition cited 

 above proved to be correct. 



PRIZES PROPOSED BY THE ACADEMY OF 



SCIENCES FOR THE YEAR 1903. 

 TN geometry, the Francceur Prize (1000 fr. ) is offered for 

 discoveries or works useful to the progress of pure or applied 

 mathematics ; the Poncelet Prize (2000 fr. ) for similar work done 

 during the ten years preceding the award ; and the Grand Prize 

 of the Mathematical Sciences (3000 fr. ). 



In mechanics, the extraordinary Prize of 6000 francs for work 

 tending to increase the efficiency of the French naval forces ; the 

 Montyon Prize (700 fr. ) for inventing or perfecting instruments 

 valuable in the mechanical arts; the Plumey Prize (2500 fr.) 

 for improvements in connection with steam engines ; and the 

 Fourncyron Prize (iooo fr.) for a theoretical or experimental 

 study of steam turbines. 



In astronomy, the Pierre Guzman Prize(loo,ooofr.) for finding 

 a means of communicating with any planet other than Mars ; 

 the Lalande Prize (540 fr. ) for the most interesting memoir or 

 observation valuable to the progress of astronomy ; the Valz 

 Prize (460 fr.) and the G. de Pontecoulant Prize (700 fr.) for 

 similar work. 



In physics, the Hebert Prize (1000 fr. ) for the author of the 

 best treatise or most useful discovery for the commercial or 

 practical use of electricity; the Hughes Prize (250c fr.) for the 

 best discovery or work contributing to the progress of physics ; 

 the Gaston Plante Prize (3000 fr. ) for an important discovery or 

 invention in the field of electricity. 



In statistics, a Montyon Prize (500 fr.) for a work on French 

 statistics. 



In chemistry, the Jecker Prize (10,000 fr.) for work in 

 organic chemistry, and the LaCaze Prize (10,000 fr. ) 



In mineralogy and geology, the Delesse Prize (1400 fr. ) for a 

 work bearing on geological or mineialogical science. 



In physical geography, the Gay Piize (2500 fr.) for a work 

 having for its end the determination, as precisely as possible, of 

 a series of geographical positions in a French colony. 



In botany, the Grand Prize of the Physical Sciences (3000 fr.) 

 for a research on the various modes of formation and develop- 

 ment of the egg in the Ascomyceles and the Basidiomycetes ; 

 the Bordin Prize (3000 fr.) to demonstrate, by a study of 

 numerous and varied types, the generality of the phenomenon of 

 double fenilisation, or digamy, in the Angiosperms ; the Des- 

 mazieres Prize (1600 fr. ) for the best work published in the 

 course of the preceding year on Cryptogams ; the Montagne Prize 

 (1500 fr.) for work on the anatomy, physiology, development 

 or description of the lower Cryptogams ; the Thore Prize (200 fr. ) 

 for a work on the cellular Cryptogams of Europe. 



In rural economy, the Bigot de Morogues Prize (1700 fr.) 

 for any work tending to forward the pi ogress of French 

 agriculture. 



' In anatomy and zoology, the Savigny Prize (1300 fr.) for the 

 assistance of young travelling zoologists with especial reference 

 to the study of the invertebrate animals of Egypt and Syria ; the 

 Da Gama Machado Prize (1200 fr. ) for the best memoir on the 

 coloured portions of the tegumentary system of animals. 



In medicine and surgery, a Montyon Prize, three prizes of 

 2500 fr. and three mentions of 1500 fr. for discoveries or inven- 

 tions relating to the improvement of medicine or surgery ; the 



NO. 1733, VOL. 67] 



Barbier Prize (2000 fr.) for a discovery in medical, surgical or 

 pharmaceutical science or in bolany of curative value ; the 

 Breant Prize (ico.oco fr. ) for the discovery of a radical cure for 

 Asiatic cholera, or lor pointing out the causes of the disease so 

 that preventive measures leading to the eradication of the 

 disease can be carried out ; the Godard Piize (IOOO fr.) for the 

 best memoir on the anatomy, physiolog\ and pathology of the 

 genito-urinary organs; the Lallemand Prize (1S00 fr. ) for the 

 encouragement of work on the nervous system ; the liaron 

 Larrey Prize (750 fr. ) for a work treating of medicine, suruery 

 or military hygiene; the Bellion Prize (1400 Ir. ); the Mege 

 Prize (lo,oco fr.); the Chaussier Prize (10,000 fr.) for the best 

 book or memoir which has appeared during the last four years on 

 legal or practical medicine. 



In physiology, a Montyon Prize (750 fr. ) for researches in ex- 

 perimental physiology ; the Philipeaux Prize (goo fr. ) for similar 

 work ; the Poural Prize ( IOOO fr. ) for a memoir on the action of 

 high-frequency currents on the phenomena of lite. 



Other general prizes offered include the Binoux Prize (2000 

 fr.) for work on the history of science ; Montyon Prizes (2500 

 fr. and 1500 fr.) for the discovery of any means rendering a 

 dangerous trade less unhealthy ; the Wilde Prize (4000 fr.) for 

 a discovery or woik on astronomy, physics, chemistry, 

 mineralogy, geology or experimental mechanics ; the Tchihat- 

 chef Prize (3000 fr. ) for the encouragement of exploration in 

 Asia by naturalists; the Cuvier Prize (1500 Ir. ) ; the Parkin 

 Prize (3400 fr.) ; the Petit D'Ormoy Prize (two prizes of 

 10,000 fr. ), one lor pure or applied mathematics and the other 

 for work in natural science: the Boileau Prize (1300 fr.) for 

 researches in hydraulics ; the Estrade-Delcros Prize (Soco fr.); 

 the Cahours Prize (3000 fr.) for the encouragemrnt ol young 

 promising chemists; the haintour Prize (3000 fr. ); the Tre- 

 mont Prize (1 100 fr.) ; and the Gegner Prize (3S00 fr. ). 



Of these, the prizes bearing the names of Pierre Guzman, 

 Lalande, La Caze, Delesse, Desmazieres, Wilde and Parkin are 

 expressly stated to be offered without distinction of nationality. 



LONDON CONFERENCE OF SCIENCE 

 TEACHERS. 



T'HE fifth annual conference of science teachers arranged by 

 Dr. Kimmins in connection wiih the Technical Education 

 Board of the London County Council was held at the S'Ulh- 

 Western Pol)technic, Chelsea, on January 9 and 10. There 

 was a larger attendance than in any previous year, between 

 four and five hundred teachers and others accepting invitations 

 to be present. Adopting the admirable practice of former 

 meetings of selecting for consideration a subject which during 

 the preceding year has been specially receiving attention in the 

 educational woild, arrangements were made to give the whole 

 ol the first two sessions to a discussion on the teaching of 

 elementary mathematics, more especially the instruction in ele- 

 mentary geometry, and the interest manifested in the subject 

 fully justified the choice. The third meeting was devoted to 

 the teaching of bolany in schools and colleges, and the last to 

 methods of illustrating the instruction in chemistry by lecture 

 experiments. 



The customary invitation to teachers of science to send for 

 exhibition during the conference home-made apparatus, designed 

 b) themselves to simplily their instruction, was not this year 

 responded to with any heartiness. Leaving on one side the 

 exhibits of the staff of the South-Western Polytechnic, the pieces 

 of apparatuson view were few in number and in no way remarkable 

 for the ingenuity displayed. At the same time, the experiments 

 in plant physiology arranged by Mr. H. B. Lacey, of the 

 Chelsea Polytechnic, to illustrate his paper at the third meeting, 

 were well calculated to show teachers of botany how the 

 odds and ends of ever) day life can be utilised in the experi- 

 mental illustration of science lessons. 



The Teaching of Geometry. 

 The chairman of the Technical Education Board of the 

 London County Council, Mr. H. Ward, presided at the opening 

 meeting, and after emphasising the value of conferences to 

 teachers, contrasted German and English systems of education ; 

 he based his hopes for the future of English education on a 

 combination of the excellences of German methods with the 

 elasticity and originality which characterise education in this 

 counUry. 



