506 THE INSECT WORLD. 
“‘Latreille remained detained at the prison of the Grand Sémi- 
naire. In the same chamber which he occupied, there was, at 
the time, an old sick bishop, whose wounds a surgeon came each 
morning to dress. One day as the surgeon was dressing the 
bishop’s wounds, an insect came out of a crack in the boards. 
Latreille seized it immediately, examined it, stuck it on a cork 
with a pin, and seemed enchanted at what he had found. 
“Ts it a rare insect, then ?”’ said the surgeon. 
“Yes,” replied the ecclesiastic. 
“In that case you should give it to me.” 
(a9 Why ? 99 
“‘Because I have a friend who has a fine collection of insects 
who would be pleased with it.”’ 
“Very well, take him this meee ts tell him how you came by it, 
and beg him to tell me its name.’ 
The surgeon went quickly to his friend’s house. ‘This friend 
was Bory de Saint Vincent, a naturalist who became celebrated 
afterwards, but who was very young at that time. He already 
occupied himself much with the natural sciences, and in par- 
ticular with the classing of insects. The surgeon delivered to 
him the one found by the priest, but in spite of all his researches, 
he was unable to class it. 
Next day the surgeon having seen Latreille again in his prison, 
was obliged to confess to him that in his friend’s opinion this 
Coleopteron had never been described. Latreille knew by this 
answer that Bory de Saint Vincent was an adept. As they gave 
the prisoner neither pen nor paper, he said to his messenger,— 
“TY see plainly that M. Bory de Saint Vincent must know my 
name. You tell him that I am the Abbé Latreille, and that 
I am going to die at Guyana, before having published my ‘ Examen 
des Genres de Fabricius.’ ”’ 
Bory, on receiving this piece of news, took active steps, and 
obtained leave for Latreille to come out of his prison, as a con- 
valescent, his uncle Dayclas and his father being bail for him, 
and pledging themselves formally to deliver up the prisoner 
the moment they were summoned to do so by the authorities. 
The vessel which was to have conducted Latreille to exile or 
rather to death, was getting ready whilst these steps were being 
