Discovery of panda by David (cited from his diary in 1869)

March 11：On the way home, I was invited by Mr.Li to his home to have deserts and tea. I find a large piece of skin in his home. It is white and black. It must be a large and strange animal. When my hunter tells me we also have such an animal, I feel excited because there will be a new species.

March 23：My hunter brings back a young black and white bear. It was alive before, but in order to carry easily, they killed it. They sell it to me at a very high price. The skin is the same as that of Mr. Li. Beside black limbs, ears and eye circles, all the other parts of the body is white.

April 1：The hunter brings back another adult black and white bear which is the same as that before. The head is very big and the mouth is short and round which is not so long as bears.

April 7：They bring a lovely young bear to me which behaves like a little bear. It is the same as the black and white bear of mine. The stomach is full of leaves of bamboo.

July 30 ：My partner and I process the skins every evening. It is really a boring job to process the skins in order to make specimens. However, as a zoologist, I should shoulder my responsibility and should have a scrupulous attitude towards my job.

September 4：I go to Chendu with another man who helps me to take the three cases full of articles. And I post them to French Natural Museum.

November 19：It is a little windy today. It takes me 8 days to carry five cases to Chengdu which will be posted to French Natural Museum.