The interest that our friends have taken in obtaining additional names to send with their own subscriptions to the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN for the coming year, is without a parallel. The clubs sent by competitors for the cash prizes are not so many or so large as we expected, but the number of applicants for the steel plate engraving exceeds our expectation.

The Emperor of France is said to be interested in the art of flying and to have given money to fledge some inventions.