GASTON PLANTE.
This eminent scientist was born in Orthez (Department of Basses-Pyrénées) on the 22d of April, 1834; at present in his fiftieth year. He began his scientific career as assistant to Edmund Becquerel at the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers at Paris. In the year 1859, after resigning his position at the above named institution, he entered upon his researches in electricity, and has continued them ever since. His work entitled "Recherches sur l'Electricité" is a model of clear language and elegant demonstration, and contains all the papers presented by Planté to the Paris Academy of Sciences since 1859.
GASTON PLANTE.
At the Paris Electrical Exhibition in 1881, Planté received a Diploma of Honor, the highest distinction conferred, while in the same year the Academy of Sciences voted him the "Lacaze" prize, and the Society for the Encouragement of National Industry presented him with the "Ampère" medal, its highest award.
Planté deserves not only the honors conferred upon him by his own country, but those of the world on account of his cosmopolitan character--a rarity among his countrymen. He sends his apparatus to all exhibitions of any consequence; they appeared at Munich and Vienna, where their interpretation by the attendant added considerably to the renown of their author.--Zeitch f. Elektrotechnik.