MEMOIR OF LATREILLE. 47 



names celebrated by the most useful discoveries in 

 physics, medicine, and the practice of the arts ; that 

 the Swammerdams, Linnasuses, Geoffroys, Reau- 

 murs, De Geers, and Fabriciuses, had been drawn by 

 a particular attraction to this interesting study, in 

 such a degree that many of them at last devoted 

 all their time to it, and occupied themselves with it 

 exclusively. 



*' It would then become my part to point out by 

 what labours the indefatigable Latreille submitted 

 all the observations of these great men to a new 

 test, — a more exact and complete analysis; how 

 prodigiously he added to the number of their ob- 

 servations ; and how at last he succeeded in uniting 

 into a body of doctrine such an immense number of 

 facts, as to form at once a guide to the philosophical 

 naturalist in this difficult department of science, and 

 facilitate the study of all the authors who have 

 treated of it. 



" But such a demonstration is useless in reference 

 to you, gentlemen, since it belongs to the history of 

 a science with which you are familiar, and the 

 annals of which you are daily continuing to enrich. 



" However, although all of you know that La- 

 treille was one of the most eminent men whom 

 study has formed, you are not all aware that he 

 was likewise one of the best whom Nature has 

 made. 



" Let one who has had the happiness to enjoy 

 his friendship for the period of nearly forty years be 

 permitted to pass upon him that simple eulogy. It 



