ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF FRANCE. 283 



Art. XL. — Proceedings of the Entomological Society of 

 France. 



Sitting of the 1st June, 1836. 



M. DupoNCHEL in the Chair. 



Present, — Messrs. Lefebure, De Cerisy, Rippert, &c. 

 The following list of donations was announced : — 



M. DuMENiL. " BufFon Classique," livr. 181^ a 195^ 



Mr. Walker, of London. Number XV. of the Entomolo- 

 gical Magazine. 



M. De Saint Fargeau. " Histoire Naturelle des Insectes 

 Hymenopteres," tome !<'''. 



M. J. F. PiCTET. " Note surles Organes Respiratoires des 

 Capricornes," also " Description de quelques nouvelles Especes 

 de Neuropteres du Musee de Geneve." 



The Academy of Bonn. " Acta Academiae Naturae Curio- 

 sorum,"" torn. xvii. part 2. 



The thanks of the Society were returned for these donations. 



M. Amyot read the translation of a letter written in Chinese, 

 by M. Joseph Li, who left Paris in 1829 as a missionary, to 

 preach the Roman Catholic religion to the Chinese. The 

 letter was dated 8th December, 1835, and addressed to M. 

 S. Julien, member of the Institute. It was as follows: — 



" We have not this year suffered losses by water, but the 

 ravages of certain yellow insects have been truly terrible. The 

 oldest residents here, 80, 90 years of age, have never seen 

 the like. This extraordinary pest has afflicted alike the marshy 

 and the mountainous regions. The drought at first did great 

 injury to the crops, both in high and low situations ; then 

 came these insects to unite with it in causing destruction ; 

 they formed clouds in the distance, w^hich as they rose obscured 

 both sun and moon. All who saw them were terrified. 

 Wherever they alighted the finest and most abundant harvest 

 was instantly devoured, and the fields became as bare as one's 

 hand. The inhabitants everywhere fled to the mountains. 



