To these may be added at any time, by a decree on the part of the government, any other departments, the duties of which appear to require an extensive knowledge of mathematics, physics, or chemistry. Admission to the school is, and has been since its first commencement in 1794, obtained by competition in a general examination, held yearly, and open to all. Every French youth, between the age of sixteen and twenty, (or if in the army up to the age of twenty-five,) may offer himself as a candidate. A board of examiners passes through France once every year, and examines all who present themselves, that have complied with the conditions, which are fully detailed in the decree given in the appendix. It commences at Paris. A list of such of the candidates as are found eligible for admittance to the Polytechnic is drawn up from the proceedings of the board, and submitted to the minister at war; the number of places likely to be vacant has already been determined, and the minister fixes the number of admissions accordingly. The candidates admitted are invariably taken in the order of merit. The annual charge for board and instruction is 40_l._ (1,000 fr.,) payable in advance in four installments. In addition there is the cost of outfit, varying from 20_l._ to 24_l._ Exhibitions, however, for the discharge of the whole or of one-half of the expense (_bourses_ and _demi-bourses_,) are awarded by the state in favor of _all_ the successful candidates, whose parents can prove themselves to be too poor to maintain their children in the school. Outfits and half outfits (_trousseaux_) and _demi-trousseaux_) are also granted in these cases, on the entrance of the student into the school; and the number of these _boursiers_ and _demi-boursiers_ amounts at the present time to one-third of the whole. The course of study is completed in two years. On its successful termination which is preceded by a final examination, the students are distributed into the different services, the choice being offered them in the order of their merit, and laid down in the classified list drawn up after the examination. If it so happen that the number of places or the services which can be offered is not sufficient for the number of qualified students, those at the bottom of the list are offered service in the infantry or cavalry, and those who do not enter the public service, are supplied with certificates of having passed successfully through the school. Students who have been admitted into the school from the army, are obliged to re-enter the army. All others, as has been said, have the right of choosing, according to their position on the list, the service which they prefer, so far, that is, as the number of vacancies in that service will allow; or they may if they please decline to enter the public service at all.