— ee 
a. 
January 8, 1914] 
in physics; Gaston Planté prize (3000 francs), for the 
French author of an important discovery, invention, 
or work in the field of electricity. 
Chemistry.—Jecker prize (10,000 francs), for work 
conducing to the progress of organic chemistry; 
Cahours prize (3000 francs), for the encouragement of 
young chemists; Montyon prize (unhealthy trades; 
one prize, 2500 francs, a mention of 1500 francs), for 
the discovery of a means of rendering an art or trade 
less unhealthy ; Houzeau prize (7oo francs), for a young 
chemist. 
Mineralogy and Geology.—Delesse prize (1400 
francs), for work in geology, or, failing that, in 
mineralogy; Joseph Labbé prize (1000 francs), for 
geological researches contributing to the development 
of the mineral wealth of France, its colonies, and 
protectorates. 
Botany.—Desmaziéres prize (1600 francs), for the 
best publication during the year on Cryptogams; Mon- 
tagne prize (1500 francs), for work on the anatomy, 
physiology, development, or description of the lower 
Cryptogams; de Coincy prize (900 francs), for a work 
on phanerogams; Thore prize (200 francs), for work 
on the cellular cryptogams of Europe; Jean de Rufz 
de Lavison prize (500 francs), for work on plant 
physiology. 
Anatomy and Zoology.—Savigny prize (1500 francs), 
for the assistance of young travelling zoologists, not 
receiving Government assistance, who work on the 
invertebrates of Egypt and Syria; Cuvier prize (1500 
francs), for work in zoological palzontology, com- 
parative anatomy, or zoology; da Gama Machado 
prize (1200 francs), for memoirs on the coloured parts 
of the tegumentary system of animals. 
Medicine and Surgery.—Montyon prize (2500 francs, 
mentions of 1500 francs), for discoveries or inventions 
in medicine and surgery; Barbier prize (2000 francs), 
for a discovery in botany in relation to medicine, or 
in the sciences of surgery, medicine, or pharmacy ; 
Bréant prize (100,000 francs), for a specific cure for 
Asiatic cholera; Godard prize (1000 francs), for the 
best memoir on the anatomy, physiology, and patho- 
logy of the genito-urinary organs; Baron Lorrey prize 
750 francs), for a work treating of military hygiene, 
medicine, or surgery; Bellion prize (1400 francs), for 
medical discoveries ; Mége prize (10,000 francs); Argut 
prize (1200 francs), for the discovery of a remedy for 
a disease at present not capable of treatment; Chaus- 
sier prize (10,000 francs), for the best book or memoir 
published during the last four years on legal or prac- 
tical medicine; Dusgate prize (2500 francs), for a 
work on the signs of death and the means of prevent- 
ing premature burial. 
Physiology.—Montyon prize (750 francs), for work 
in experimental physiology; Philipeaux prize (goo 
francs), for experimental physiology ; Lallemand prize 
(1800 franes), for worls relating to the nervous system ; 
Pourat prize (1000 francs), for a memoir on the rela- 
tions between the combined sugar of the blood and 
the albuminoid materials. 
Statistics—Montyon prize (1000 francs, and two 
mentions of 500 francs), for works dealing with statis- 
tical questions. 
History of Science.—Binoux prize (2000 francs). 
General Prizes.—Arago medal; Lavoisier medal, for 
work in chemistry ; Berthelot medal, to persons taking 
prizes in chemistry or physics; Henri Becquerel prize 
(3000 francs); Gegner prize (3800 francs); Lanne- 
longue prize (2000 francs); Gustave Roux prize (1000 
francs), Tremont prize (1100 francs); ilde prize 
(4000 francs), for a work or discovery in astronomy, 
physics, chemistry, mineralogy, geology, or experi- 
mental mechanics; Lonchampt prize (4000 francs); 
Saintour prize (3000 francs), for work in mathematics ; 
Henri de Parville prize (2500 francs); Victor Raulin 
NO. 2306, VOL. 92] 
NATURE 
541 
prize (1500 francs), for facilitating the publication of 
works relating to geology and paleontology; Vaillant 
prize (4000 francs), for the discovery of a photographic 
pee free from grain, and as sensitive as the gelatino- 
romide in current use; Fanny Emden prize (3000 
francs), for work dealing with hypnotism and sugges- 
tion ; Grand prize of the physical sciences (300 francs), 
for the study of a French colony from the point of 
view of its geology, mineralogy, and its physical geo- 
graphy; Leconte prize (50,000 francs), for new and 
important discoveries in mathematics, physics, chem- 
istry, natural history, and medical science; Petit 
d’Ormoy prize (10,000 francs), for work in pure or 
applied mathematics or in natural science; Pierson- 
Perrin prize (5000 francs), for a discovery in the field 
of mechanics or physics. 
THE ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC 
BIOLOGISTS. 
gis twelfth annual Congress of the Association of 
Economic Biologists, held at the Liverpool 
School of Tropical Medicine, last week, marked off a 
distinct era in the progress and development of 
economic biology in the United Kingdom. 
Founded in November, 1904, with a membership of 
twenty-four, it seemed doubtful for a time whether 
what Prof. Fred V. Theobald aptly christened “ Mr. 
Collinge’s healthy infant,’’ would weather the storms 
of its early days. At that time economic biology was 
looked askance at in all our universities, and regarded 
as something ultra-scientific, and could only be said 
to be taught and studied in any detail at the South- 
Eastern Agricultural College, Wye. 
Even at a later date professors of biology were 
interested only in the morphological or systematical 
aspects of biology, and dreaded the intrusion of applied 
biology. Happily these views have all passed away, 
and the association may very rightly claim to have 
had a large share in bringing about a more reason- 
able and truly scientific spirit. 
Meeting first in the University of Birmingham, the 
association has held meetings in the Universities of 
Liverpool, Cambridge, London, Edinburgh, Oxford, 
Manchester, and Dublin. From each of these centres 
of learning it has gathered strength, leaving behind 
some record of the really valuable work which its 
members have been engaged upon, and_ indirectly 
tending to gain the sympathies of those who originally 
regarded the organisation from an entirely mistaken 
point of view. Gradually biologists in this country 
were beginning to realise that, as stated by Prof. 
Miall, ‘‘a practical purpose is, in my opinion, not a 
hindrance but a powerful motive to the acquisition of 
scientific knowledge. If not too narrowly prosecuted, 
the practical purpose may be a means of distinguish- 
ing knowledge, which is really useful from knowledge 
which is merely curious.” 
Since 1904 departments of economic biology have 
been founded in nearly all our universities, which has 
meant an increase in the number of workers, and has 
made the association still more necessary for such 
investigators to possess an organisation wherein they 
could ‘discuss new discoveries, exchange experiences, 
carefully consider the best methods of work, give 
opportunity to individual workers of announcing pro- 
posed investigations, so as to bring out suggestions 
and prevent unnecessary duplication of work, and to 
suggest, when possible, certain lines of investigation 
upon subjects of general interest.”’ 
The outstanding feature of the Liverpool meeting 
was the decision of the council to increase the number 
of meetings to four per annum, three of which will be 
' held in London, and one in the provinces; coupled 
