MEMOIR OF LATREILLE. 



As the names of Swammerdam, Linnaeus, and Fa- 

 bricius, have been respectively used to indicate 

 particular epochs in the earlier stages of Entomo- 

 logy, so may that of Latreille be employed to sig- 

 nalize the most flourishing period of the science in 

 more recent times. Almost from the date of his 

 first publication till his death, his superiority in 

 this department of Natural History seems to have 

 been admitted by the general consent of all compe- 

 tent judges ; every student was accustomed to look 

 to him as a guide and instructor ; and the most 

 skilful, as well as the most inexperienced, have 

 every where united in doing him homage as the 

 44 facile princeps entomologorum." 



It is much to be regretted that no detailed bio- 

 graphy of an individual so celebrated for his attain- 

 ments in the branch of study to which he devoted 

 himself, has yet been laid before the public. M. 

 Audouin, an eminent student in the same depart- 

 ment of science, has promised a historical notice 



B 



