MEMOIR OF LATREILLE. 33 



Latreille became a member of the Royal Aca- 

 demy of Sciences in 1814, having succeeded his 

 friend Olivier. His name was the first, as elected 

 by the Academy, submitted to Louis XVIII. for his 

 approbation on his return to France. He Avas like- 

 wise, during the latter period of his life, elected an 

 honorary member of most of the principal acade- 

 mies of Europe, established for the promotion of 

 physical science. In 1821, the king evinced his 

 regard for him, and the sense he entertained of the 

 value of his services, by conferring on him the dis- 

 tinction of Chevalier of the royal order of the Legion 

 of Honour. It was late, however, before he obtained 

 such an appointment as his abilities and reputation 

 may be considered as entitling him to hold. At 

 last he was appointed to the Professorship of Ento- 

 mology in the Museum of Natural History, a situa- 

 tion which completely realized all his hopes and 

 satisfied his ambition. He devoted himself to the 

 duties of this office with unwearied zeal, and en- 

 gaged in numerous laborious works, at a time when 

 his health was beginning to fail, and would have 

 required almost entire cessation from labour. 



One of the distinctions which he received towards 

 the close of his life, and which he valued most 

 highly, was that of being elected, under very flat- 

 tering circumstances, Honorary President of the 

 Entomological Society of France. This society may 

 be said to have been formed, in a great measure, by 

 his own pupils ; those who had been attracted to 

 the study, and guided in the prosecution of it by 



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