PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ PRIZE MEDALS. 231 
PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ PRIZE MEDALS. 
FROM THE REPORT OF THE ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF THE ROYAL 
GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. 
*k *k * *k *K * *K * * * * ce nS 
The medals have been awarded this year as follows by the Examiners. who 
were for Physical Geography, Commander V. L. Lameron, R. N., and for Po- 
litical Geography, Admiral Sir Erasmus Ommanney, F. R. S. ; the special subject 
for the year being ‘‘ Western Africa, between the Sahara, the asehos of ‘Egypt, 
the Equatorial Lakes, and the sixth parallel of south latitude.” 
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 
Gold Medal—David Bowie, Dulwich College. Silver Medal—Albert Lewis 
Humphries, Liverpool College. Honorably Mentioned—Gustave Isadore Schor- 
stein, City of London School; Sydney Edkins, City of London School; Phillipe 
Joseph Hartog, University College School; Henderson McMaster, Liverpool 
College; Robert Galbraith Reid, Dulwich College. 
POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY. 
Gold Medal—Frederick James Naylor, Dulwich College. Silver Medal— 
Theodore Brooks, London International College. Honorably Mentioned — 
Charles Theodore Knaws, Dulwich College; Charles E. Mallet, Harrow School ; 
William H David Boyle, Eaton College; Allan Danson Rigby, Liverpool Col- 
lege; Matthew George Grant, Liverpool College; Charles James Casher, Brigh- 
ton College. 
Mr. Douglas Treshfield, said that, in the absence of Mr. F. Gation, the 
Chairman of the Public School’s Prizes Committee, it fell to him, as a member of 
the Committee, to announce the result of the recent examinations. Before doing 
so he wished to make some remarks suggested by a tabular statement before him, 
showing the number of candidates who had submitted themselves for examina- 
tion in each year, since the prizes were founded in 1869. Such a comparison 
showed rapid oscillation rather than any steady advance. In 1869 we began 
with 81 candidates, the number falling, in 1871 to 23. In 1876 the num- 
ber rose again to 54, and this year stood at 32, which was somewhat below the 
average. This result must not, he thought, be looked on as discouraging. ‘The 
large numbers at commencement were doubtless due to ignorance of the nature 
of the examination, which was not confined to the old-fashioned school topog- 
raphy, a mere list of names to be learned by rote, but aimed at testing the 
knowledge of boys in scientific geography. To prepare boys for the Society’s 
examinations required considerable attainments in the teacher, and it is not every 
school, not even every public school, which is fortunate in the possession of ad- 
equate instructors. One of the results of the examinations would probably be to 
supply the first requisite of sound teaching—a number of competent teachers— 
under whom many schools might rival the successes won for Dulwich and Liver- 
