MEMOIR OF LATREILLE. 37 
amongst us a great and irreparable blank ; for pre- 
eminence of this nature is not a favour which Fortune 
grants twice to the same country in the course of 
the same century. "With this first rank among the 
entomologists of our age, Fabricius, like another 
Elias, had invested the heir of his talents while 
alive, for I have heard this solemn designation from 
tlie mouth of the Professor of Kiel himself; and 
this acknowledgment of the superiority of my 
venerable friend, M. Latreille, confirmed by the 
universal assent of men of science throughout Eu- 
rope, has been the solace of the latter portion of a 
life of so much diligence and useful labour; and 
how agreeable to him has been the just homage 
with which you, my fellow members of the Entomo- 
logical Society, whom I have seen so affectionate and 
ardent in testifying your filial grief, have surrounded 
his latter days ! You conferred inexpressible happi- 
ness on a heart which received the most delightful 
impressions from the regards of friendship, when 
you formed yourselves into a society, in the begin- 
ning of last year, under his honourable patronage, 
and surrounding your Honorary President as affec- 
tionate and devoted children, confidently and re- 
spectfully sought his distinguished guidance. 
" At this moment of sorrow and regret, and when 
paying our final homage, it may be asked what could 
have been the commencement of a life the recollec- 
tions of which henceforth belong to the history of the 
Sciences ? Was M. Latreille called upon to derive 
celebrity from the fame of his relations, or to create 
it for himself? He has himself affirmed that fate 
