LATREILLE, PIERRE-A\ortE, an eminent naturalist, b. in 1762 at Brive, in the Apartment of Correze, France. In 1778 he was placed in the college of cardinal Lemoine, at Paris, to be educated for the church. Here he acquired the friendship of HaUy (q.v.), and devoted himself almost exclusively to the study of insects. He com pleted his education for the church, and received ordination, but gave himself, how ever, chiefly to entomological studies. His first publication was on the mutillas of France, insects of the order hymenoptera (1792): which was followed by very many other works of the same kind, articles in encyclopwdias, magazines, etc. In 1796 he published, at Brive, his first great work, Precis des Caracteres Generiques des In.sectes, disposes dans un Ordre Nature". It was an important step towards a truly natural system of entomology, although really a mere sketch of a system. An interesting incident falls here to be mentioned. During the fury of the French revolution, Latreille was con demned to deportation, and sent to prison at Bordeaux, awaiting the execution of his sentence. The surgeon who Visited the prison observing- thv attentively look ing at a small insect (necrobia rufteollis), was informed by him that it was very rare, and that he wished to transmit it to two young naturalists in Bordeaux. His wish was gratified, and the young naturalists—MM. Dargelas and Bory de Saint-Vincent—exerted themselves to obtain his release, in which they ultimately succeeded. Latreille always
remembered this with great gratitude, and has commemorated the incident in sonic; of his works. A figure of the insect is engraved on his tomb. Latreille was again in danger in 1797, when he was proscribed as an emigre; but again he escaped through the influence of friends. Having, after the revolution, relinquished all thoughts of the church, he entirely devoted himself to natural history; was received as a corresponding member of the institute; and was employed in the arranging of insects in the museum Of natural history. He died at Paris, Feb. 6, 1833, at the age of 70. His works on natural history are very numerous. The most important, besides those already noticed, are: Ilistoire des Salamandres (Par. 1800); Ilistoire Nature des 6inges'(2 torn., Par. 1801); Histaire Naturelle des Orustaees et Inseetes (14 tom., 1802-5); Histoire Naturelle des Reptiles (4 tom. Par., 1802); Genera Crustaceorum et Insectorum (4 tom., Par., 1806-9); Considerations sus' l'Ordre .Naturel des Animaux, etc. (Par. 1810); Families _Naturelies du li?gne Animal (Par; 1825); COLTS d'Entonsologie (2 tom. Par. 1831-33). Latreille contributed greatly to the present natural system of entomology; and his labors in other departments of natural history were not inconsiderable.