130 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



opinion, that the Scohjti which annually attacked this Quercus 

 Lusitanica proceeded from the timber-yards in the neighbour- 

 hood of the Museum of Natural History. 



M. Feisthamel observed that, interesting as were the 

 remarks of M. Audouin, yet he thought that the mortality of 

 the trees ought not to be attributed so much to the Scohjti as 

 to the dryness of the summer ; the Scolyti appeared to him but 

 a secondary cause : he believed that these insects attacked 

 none but those trees which were already diseased ; thus in the 

 year 1835, the previous summer having been excessively dry, 

 the forest of Vincennes had sustained great injury from the 

 presence of the Scolyti, whose increase had, he believed, been 

 principally caused by the excessive drought. In support of 

 this opinion, M. Feisthamel added, that in the Forest of 

 Vincennes the mortality only took place in those spots where 

 there was a deficiency of vegetable mould ; whence the roots, 

 being near the surface of the soil, could not reach a bed suffi- 

 ciently moist ; the trees have thus literally perished from the 

 great drought. Out of the fifty thousand trees which were 

 obliged to be felled, a very few had been growing in good soil. 

 M. Feisthamel further announced, that he should shortly offer 

 to the Society a more detailed statement on this interesting 

 subject ; and he combated the opinion of M. Audouin, that 

 the injury may be remedied by removing the trees which had 

 been attacked : he believed that the Scolytus, happily, was not 

 the cause of all the evil attributed to it, since it appeared that, 

 although the trees attacked by it and cut down in 1835, in the 

 Forest of Vincennes, were not removed, yet in 1836 no single 

 tree had perished. During this year they had only felled a 

 number of trees little greater than the number that annually 

 perish. From these facts M. Feisthamel concluded that it was 

 drought, and not the Scolyti, which occasioned the great loss 

 of forest-trees. 



The Society then elected their officers for the current year, 

 as under : — 



M. Audouin ..... President. 



M. BoiSDUVAL 



M. Brulle 



M. FlERRET 



M. AUBE 



M. Serville 



Vice-President. 



Secretary. 



Assistant-Secretary. 



Treasurer. 



Curator. 



