Jacques Babinet, a French physicist, born at Lusignan, March 5,1794, died in October, 1872, He was educated at the polytechnic school, taught mathematics, physics, and meteorology, and became a member of the academy and an astronomer in the bureau of longitudes at the Paris observatory. His scientific lectures, celebrated for their attractive style, were familiarly known in Paris as the causeries du pere Babi-net. He wrote in the annals of the academy and other periodicals on meteorological and mineralogical optics, terrestrial magnetism, the theory of heat, and the measure of chemical forces, and made important improvements in pneumatic machines, in hygrometers, atmome-ters, goniometers, and in geographical maps (cartes homalographiques); but his unfortunate predictions in regard to the failure of the At-antic cable and to various meteorological phenomena have been much ridiculed. Among his works is Etudes et lectures sur les sciences d"observation et sur leurs applications pratiques (6 vols., Paris, 1855-'67).