Miscellanies. 197 



13. The Georgics. — The Royal Academy of Sciences, Belles 

 Lettres and Arts of Lyons, offer a gold medal of six hundred francs, 

 founded by M. Bonafous, to be decreed to the author who shall pre- 

 sent "a good translation of the Georgics, made or selected by him- 

 self, and enriched with better notes and commentaries, better digest- 

 ed, upon (la science agronomique) the theory of agriculture, so as 

 to furnish to young men studying the Latin language the means of 

 acquiring correct notions upon this science, so useful and yet so 

 much neglected in education." 



The works should be received by April 1st, 1834, and should be 

 sent, free of postage, with some mark at their head, which is repeat- 

 ed in a sealed note, containing also their names, quality and resi- 

 dence, to M. Dumas, perpetual secretary, to the adjunct secretaries, 

 or to any member of the Academy. 



14. Epidemics in Paris. — M. Villerme, upon epidemics, consid- 

 ering those years as epidemical, for a city of the size of Paris, when 

 the mortality exceeds by a sixteenth that of the year previous or suc- 

 ceeding, gives the following table for Paris. 



For thirteen years of the 17th century, 6 epidemic years. 

 From 1709 to 1720, (twelve years,) 5 



4 



5 

 4 

 4 

 . - 4 

 4 

 4 

 5 

 3 

 3 

 2 

 Bib. Univ. Jan. 1833. 



15. Pe7^mnnence of letters written vpon a metallic surface after 

 its fusion. — M. Bellani has made the following curious experiment. 

 Melt, in a small crucible, an alloy of lead and tin, and withdraw the 

 metallic cone, after cooling. On writing, with common ink, upon 

 the metallic surface, which was in contact with the side of the cru- 

 cible, and remelting the ingot and cooling it again, the very same 



