230 DAVKNPORT ACADKMY OK NATURAI- SCIENCES. 



Dr. John L. Le Conte, of Philadelphia, whose decease on the 15th instant is 

 briefly noticed in late scientific journals, removes one more honored name from the 

 brief list of honorary members. Belonging to a distinguished southern family of 

 French descent, he inherited not only a taste for scientific pursuits, but also the 

 means of prosecuting them, and quite early in life became noted as an entomologist, 

 especially in the class Coleoptera, of which he has long been regarded as the princi- 

 pal authority in this country, and which he elaborated in numerous scientific publi- 

 cations, mainly in connection with the Philadelphia Academy, of which he was a 

 prominent member. In prosecuting his scientific pursuits. Dr. Le Conte traveled 

 extensively over our remote western regions at a time when explorations were much 

 more difficult than at present, having proceeded as far as Fort Laramie soon after 

 Fremont's first exploration, and subsequently spending a year or more in Southern 

 California, in 1850 and 185 1. Later in life Dr. Le Conte was connected with a 

 railroad survey in Honduras, Central America, and in 1867 the writer was asso- 

 ciated with him on a railroad survey through Kansas and New Mexico. 



My first personal acquaintance with Dr. Le Conte was as a medical student in 

 New York City in 1844-45, ^^ which time he was chemical assistant to Prof. John 

 Torrey, our mutual friend and instructor. Afterwards, in the winter of 1850, we 

 again met at San Diego, California, during my connection with the Mexican bound- 

 ary survey, and one of our joint discoveries was a remarkable maritime pine, which I 

 had the privilege of dedicating to our honored instructor as Finns Torreyaiia, Parry. 

 [See description in Report of the Mexican Boundary .Survey, and a recent notice in 

 a paper presented to the San Diego Natural History Society, November 2d, 1883.] 



Much of Dr. Le Conte's latest work was carried on in connection with an ex- 

 tensive scientific correspondence and occasional prolonged visits to Europe. His 

 extensive and valuable collections properly go to the head-quarters of scientific en- 

 tomology, at Cambridge, Massachusetts. 



In his personal characteristics Dr. Le Conte was genial and free-hearted, taking 

 special delight in encouraging the younger votaries of science and giving them the 

 benefits of his enlarged experience. In this way he was especially kind and atten- 

 tive to our late lamented associate, J. Duncan Putnam, when they met for the first 

 time, at the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Passing away in the fulljnaturity of his 

 powers. Dr. Le Conte's memory will long be cherished by his surviving associates, 

 and an honored place assigned to him in the early ranks of the American devotees 

 of science. Doubtless some more competent hand will do justice to his character 

 and life-work in a more elaborate obituary notice of our distinguished honorary 

 member. 



Dr. C. C. Parry also read by title a paper on " Arctostaphylos, Adan : 

 Notes on some of the United States Pacific Coast species, from recent 

 observation of living plants, including a new species from Lower Cali- 

 fornia;" which paper was referred to the Publication Committee. 



December 28, 188 j. — Re(;ular Mkktinc;. 



Dr. C. C. Parry, President /nW^w.; nineteen members present. 

 The Curator reported donations from (Jen. John Bidwell, of Chico, 

 California, and Charles E. Putnam, of Davenport, Iowa. 



