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 LE CONTE LECOUVREUR 285 upon the coleoptera of North America. Lists of these memoirs are given by Agassiz, Biblio- graphia Zoologice, and by Hagen, Bibliotheca Entomologies, &c. The principal ones are: " Catalogue of Geodaphagous Coleoptera of the United States " (" Annals of the New York Lyceum of Natural History," vol. iv.) ; " On the Pselaphidae of the United States " (Boston "Journal of Natural History," vol. vi.) ; " On the Classification of the Carabidae of the Uni- ted States" ("Transactions of the American Philosophical Society," vol. x.); "Attempt to Classify the Longicornia of the United States " ("Journal of the Academy of Natural Scien- ces of Philadelphia," new series, vols. i. and ii.) ; and " Synopsis of the Melonthidse of the United States" (ibid., vol. iii.). The Smith- sonian miscellaneous collections include his " Classification of the Coleoptera of North America " (1861-'2) and " List of the Coleop- tera of North America" (1863-'6). In 1862 he entered the army as surgeon of volunteers, and was soon promoted to medical inspector in the regular army, in which capacity he served until that grade ceased to exist on the termina- tion of the war. In 1873 he was elected presi- dent of the American association for the ad- vancement of science. LE CONTEt I. John, an American physicist, born in Liberty co., Ga., Dec^ 4, 1818. He is a descendant of a French Huguenot who near the close of the 17th century emigrated to New Rochelle, N. Y. His grandfather removed to Georgia before the revolution. His father, Louis Le Conte, was a graduate of Columbia college, and became a diligent student of the natural sciences. John graduated at Franklin college, Athens, Ga., in 1838. In 1841 he re- ceived the degree of M. D. from the New York college of physicians and surgeons, and in 1842 settled in Savannah. He contributed largely to medical periodical literature, and from 1846 to 1855 was professor of natural philosophy in Franklin college, in 1855 lecturer on chemis- try in the New York college of physicians and surgeons, and from 1856 to 1869 professor of natural and mechanical philosophy in South Carolina college, now the university of South Carolina. In 1869 he accepted the chair of physics and industrial mechanics in the univer- sity of California, which he still holds (1874). Among his more important papers are those on " Experiments on the Seat of Volition in the Alligator;" "Observations on the Exudation of Ice from the Stems of Vegetables, and the Protrusion of Icy Columns from Earth ;" " Ob- servations on the Freezing of Vegetables;" " Re- searches on the alleged Influence of Solar Light on Combustion ;" " On the Influence of Musical Sound on a Gas Flame ;" and " On the Discrep- ancy between the computed and the observed Velocity of Sound in Air and Gases." A trea- tise on " General Physics," nearly completed by him, was destroyed in the burning of Co- lumbia, S. C., in 1865. II. Joseph, an Ameri- can physicist, brother of the preceding, born in Liberty co., Ga., Feb. 26, 1823. He graduated at Franklin college, Ga., in 1841, and at the New York college of physicians and surgeons in 1845. In 1848 he settled as a physician in Macon, Ga., and in 1850 went to Cambridge, Mass., to complete a course of studies in natural history and geology under Agassiz, whom he accompanied in 1851 on an exploring expedition to Florida. After graduating at the Lawrence scientific school in Cambridge, he held for one year the chair of natural sciences in Oglethorpe university. He was then for four years pro- fessor of natural history and geology in Frank- lin college, and from 1856 to 1869 of chemistry and geology in South Carolina college. Since 1869 he has been professor of geology and natural history in the university of California. Among the more important of his scientific papers are: "On the Agency of the Gulf Stream in the Formation of the Peninsula and Keys of Florida;" "On the Correlation of Vital Force with Physical and Chemical Forces;" a series of papers " On the Phenom- ena of Binocular Vision and the Theory of Binocular Relief ;" "A Theory of the Forma- tion of the Great Features of the Earth's Sur- face;" "On some of the Ancient Glaciers of the Sierras ;" " On the great Lava Flood of the North west;" and "On the Structure and Age of the Cascade Mountains." Among his literary productions are several essays on edu- cation and on the nature and uses of fine art. He has also published " The Mutual Relations of Religion and Science." LECOQ, Henri, a French naturalist, born at Avesnes, April 14, 1802, died in Clermont- Ferrand in 1871. He was for many years pro- fessor of natural history in the medical school of Clermont-Ferrand, keeper of the mineralogi- cal cabinet, and director of the botanic garden. He wrote numerous works on botany, geol- ogy, and agriculture, edited the Annalez de VAuvergne (30 vols. 8vo, 1828 et &eq.}, and made considerable donations in money and collections to public institutions. His prin- cipal work is Etudes de la geographic l>ota- nique de V Europe (9 vols. 8vo, 1854-'8). LECOl VREl R, Adrienne, a French actress, born at Lame"ry about 1690, died in Paris, March 20, 1730. She was the daughter of a hatter who established himself in Paris in 1702, and her dramatic genius was evinced by her per- formances in private theatricals while she was employed as a laundress. In 1717 she made her appearance at the Com6die Frangaise, and was soon recognized as the first French actress of her day, excelling both in tragedy and comedy. Among her lovers, by several of whom she had children, was Maurice of Sax- ony ; and when he needed money to enable him to reconquer Courland, Adrienne raised for him 40,000 francs by selling her plate and jewelry. She died suddenly, and was said to have been poisoned by the duchess de Bouil- lon, another mistress of Maurice ; but the truth of this statement has never been established.