1871. 
1. The Poncelet Prize, in Mechanics, to M. J. Boussinesq. 
__ 2, The Lalande Prize in Astronomy to M. Borelly for the 
Discovery of the Planet Lomia. 
3. The Montyon Prize in Statistics to M. E. Cadet, for his 
work on “‘ Marriage in France.” Honourable mention was 
given to Dr. Ely for his work on “The Army and the Popula- 
tion. 3 
__ 4. The Jecker Prize in Chemistry to M. Schutzemberger for 
his works on Organic Chemistry. 
_ §. The Barbier Prize in Botany to M. Duquesnel, for his 
‘memdir on “‘ Crystallised Aconitine.” 
6. The Bordin Prize fora paper on ‘*The part played by 
Stomata in the Functions of Leaves,” was not awarded, and is 
withdrawn from competition ; but a bonus was given to M. A. 
Barthelemy. 
_ 7. The Desmaziéres Prize was not awarded either, but a bonus 
of 500 fraics was given to M. Husnot for various works on the 
_ Cryptogamic Flora of Martinique. 
8. The Bréant Prize.—A sum of 5,000 francs, the whole 
annual interest of the legacy, was awarded to M. Chauveau for 
his experiments upon Virulent Virus and Maladies. 
_ 9g. The Montyon Prizes in Medicine and Surgery.—Two 
prizes of 2,500 francs were awarded—(1) To M. Grehant for 
his Physiological and Medical Researches on the Respiration of 
_ Man; (2) To M. Blondlot, for a series of memoirs concerning 
the disputed questions of Medicine, Chemistry, and Physiology. 
Three sums of 1,500 francs each were awarded—(1) To M. 
_ Bérenger-Féraud for his work entitled ‘‘ Treatise on the Direct 
Union of Osseous Fragments in Fractures ;” (2) to M. Duclout 
for his work entitled ‘* Account of three cases of Vesico-vaginal 
fistula,” &c ; (3) To M. Leon Colin for his Treatise on Intermittent 
_ Fevers. Honourable mention was made of (1) M. Raimbert, 
(2) M. Bucquory, (3) M. Hajem, (4) MM. Krishaber and 
© Peter. 
to. The Godard Prize to Mr. J. Jolly for his work on Cancer 
of the Prostate ; honourable mention being made of M. Puech. 
11. The Montyon Prize in Experimental Physiology was 
‘divided between M. Chantran for his Observations on the 
Natural History of Crabs, and M. A. Guis for his Memoir on 
the P th of Ligneous Plants. Honourable mention was given to 
_M. Mehay for his Essay on Beet-Root Sugar, and a bonus to 
MM. Cheron and Gonjon for their Researches on the Functional 
4 a of the Nerves and Muscles duriag the intra-uterine 
ie. 
12. The Montyon Prize for Works, &c., bearing on unhealthy 
occupations, Of this, 2,500 francs were awarded to M. Golden- 
berg for the methods adopted by him for securing the healthiness 
_ of his Manufactories. A bonus of 2,000 francs was given to 
_Mdile. C. Garc:n and to M. Adam for their Automatic Sewing 
Machine; anda similar sum to M. Loavel for his process ot 
preserving grains 7 vacuo. 
13. The Tremont Prize was awarded in 1869 to M. Le Roax, 
who holds it for three years. 
14. The Laplace Prize was awarded to M. L. A. E. Sauvage, 
dux in 1870 of the Polytechnic School, and who has entered 
the School of Mines. 
MRS. SOMERVILLE 
ARY SOMERVILLE (born Fairfax), long ago 
; known for her scientific researches and long 
well known for her popular and educational scientific 
works, died in the neighbourhood of Naples, where she 
has lived for some years, on Friday, November 29, aged 
nearly 92 years, having been born on December 26, 1780. 
‘She belonged to a good Scotch family, her father having 
been the late Vice-Admiral Sir William George Fairfax, 
was a great reader, learned Euclid surreptitiously while 
“quite a girl, and at the same period got up a knowledge of 
Latin in order to be able to read Newton’s Principia, 
and was educated at a school in Musselburgh, near Edin- 
burgh. 
__ Her first important contribution to science was made 
in 1826, when she presented to the Royal Society a paper 
gn the magnetising powers of the more refrangible solar 
a 
rays, the object of which was to prove that these 
rays of the solar spectrum have a strong magnetic 
influence. This paper led to much discussion, which 
was not set at rest till the researches of Riess and Moser 
showed that the action upon the magnetic needle was not 
caused by the violet rays. 
Mrs. Somerville’s first work of any extent was hor 
“Mechanism of the Heavens” (1831), written at first at 
the request of Lord Brougham, as one of the series of 
publications by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful 
Knowledge. As, however, the work was on too large a 
scale, and, according to Sir John Herschel, to whom 
the MS. was submitted, as it was written for posterity, and 
not for the class whom the society designed to instruct, it 
was published as an independent work, eliciting from all 
quarters the highest encomiums, especially as being the 
work of awoman. It was founded to some extent on La 
Place’s treatise, though the authoress exercised her own 
judgment in the acceptance or rejection of his theories. 
Her next work “On the Connection of the Physical 
Sciences,” was published in 1834, and was referred to by 
Humboldt as “the generally so exact and admirab‘e 
treatise.” 
In 1848 appeared the work by which, perhaps, she 
is most generally known, her “ Physical Geography,” 
which, along with some of her other works, has passed 
through many editions, been reprinted frequently ia 
America, and translated into several foreign languages. 
Notwithstanding the numerous works on the same sub- 
ject that have since appeared, Mrs. Somerville’s book still 
holds place as a first authority, even with the initiated. 
In 1869 appeared her last work, “On Molecular and 
Microscopic Science,” which, to quote a writer in the 
Edinburgh Review, “contains a complete conspectus of 
some of the most recent and most abstruse researches 
of modern science, and describes admirably not only the 
discoveries of our day in the field of physics and chemis- 
try, but more especially the revelations of the microscope 
in the vegetable and animal worlds.” The fact that Mrs. 
Somervilie was close on her goth year when she published 
this work, in which is contained a vésumé of the most in- 
teresting results of recent scientific investigations, may 
give one some idea of the undying vizour and clearness 
of her mind, as well as of her intense love of science. 
So long ago as 1835 Government recognised Mrs. 
Somerville’s great meriis, by bestowing upon her a literary 
pension of 300/. ; and in the same year she was made an 
honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society, the 
only other lady on whom this honour was conferred having 
been Miss Caroline Herschel. The Geographical Society 
awarded Mrs. Somerville the Patron or Victoria Medal in 
1869, and about thirty years earlier the Fellows of the 
Royal Society subscribed for her bust, which was executed 
by Chantrey, and now adorns the Society’s library. She 
certainly deserved all the honours she obtained, for during 
her long life she has done very much to raise the standard 
of scientific text-books, and to spread among general 
readers the accurate results of scientific research. 
Dr. William Somerville was his wife’s second husband, 
her first husband having been Captain Greig, a naval 
officer, fond of mathematics, and who took pleasure in 
giving his wife instruction in his favourite subject, thus 
probably giving her mind a bent towards science which 
has led to important results. 
NOTES 
One of the most cheering Ministerial outcomes that we have 
read for a long time is to be found in Mr, Gladstone’s speech, on 
Tuesday, at the Society of Biblical Archeology, an outcome 
which indicates, we take it, on the part of the Government, that 
the lamentable condition of research in England has at length 
forced itself upon them, and that the policy which has done such 
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