Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 9.djvu/488

464 Scotchman, the distinguished chemist, Prof. J. J. J. Kyle. Like all similar societies with us, it has had an ebb-and-flow experience, and, judging from the annual report for 1875, now before me, the monthly séances in that year were not prolific in scientific memoirs.

The regular monthly meeting, which should have been recently held, was transformed into an excursion to the steamboat-landing to welcome the daring explorer, Moreno, a member of the society, and who had just returned from a long and hazardous expedition, made without companions, and for scientific purposes, in the wilds of Patagonia. The society turned out in strong force, and, accompanied by many other friends and admirers of the "Livingstone of South America," as he has been called, proceeded to the pier, where a scene of enthusiastic embracing ensued, which I imagine must have been serious to one with a less firm physique than that of Moreno. Thereupon the noisy, good-humored throng accompanied him to his home, where a repast was served. The society has in contemplation a public dinner to the explorer, at which it is probable he will give some information as to his experiences and the scientific results he has gathered.

The rooms of the society are central, very comfortable, and well supplied with scientific periodicals. There are seven hundred books in the library.

The society offers prizes of a gold medal, suitably engraved, to be given as rewards for the satisfactory solution of scientific problems. These were for 1875:

 1. The most important applications of chemistry to the industries of the country. 2. The most important applications of physics to national public works. 3. The best method of utilizing the raw materials of the country. 4. The best material for general construction suited to the republic. 5. The best method of manufacturing materials of construction. 6. The best work on physico-natural science, or its industrial applications. 7. The best work on exact science, or its applications.

The awards for the previous year were:

 For a steam-engine with multiple boiler. For an electric clock. Memoir on the manufacture of sulphuric from the raw materials of the country. Memoir upon the utilization of the hard woods of the country in the pavement of Buenos Ayres. For the manufacture in the republic of artificial marble.

It appears to be the custom, on the 28th of July, to celebrate the anniversary of the society by a conversazione, at which ladies are also present. An exhibition of objects of scientific interest was this