170 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



it was very hard to say. It is a question of general appearance, 

 size, color, shape, actions, and other points combined to produce 

 an individual. Mr. Schwarz asked whether there is a double 

 mating among the ants. Mr. Pergande replied that the queens live 

 several years, but nothing is known as to whether they mate 

 more than once. In his belief a single mating suffices. Mr. 

 Schwarz stated that with the white ants all observers agree that 

 no one has ever seen a copulation. This must take place within 

 the nests, and the queens are so long-lived that there must be sev 

 eral matings. 



Mr. Schwarz spoke on the composition and extent of the 

 Coleopterous fauna of Alaska in connection with Dr. Ham 

 ilton's recently published catalogue. He gave an outline of 

 the history of the entomological exploration of that country, 

 commenting more especially upon the thoroughness of the 

 Russian explorations in the earlier half of the present century. 

 The greatest number of the species, as described or enumerated 

 in ount Mannerheim's well-known "Contributions," form 

 an extremely well-defined division of the boreal faunal zone, 

 the extent of which is much larger than it has hitherto been 

 accepted by entomologists. As a result of a short trip undertaken 

 by Mr. H. G. Hubbard and Mr. Schwarz in 1892, through parts 

 of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, Mr. Schwarz 

 stated that along the coast range of Oregon and Washington this 

 Alaskan fauna still predominates, so that the number of species 

 said to be peculiar to Alaska must be greatly reduced. This 

 fauna extends from the base of the peninsula of Aliaska into 

 northern California, its southernmost representatives occurring in 

 the more elevated portions of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It 

 occupies the narrow strip of the coast range region, which, 

 north of Puget Sound, is broken up into numerous islands, and 

 the western slope of the Cascade Mountains south to a point not 

 yet definitely ascertained, but probably not attaining the Columbia 

 river. It is very rich in characteristic species which do not occur 

 elsewhere. Another faunal region includes the peninsula of 

 Aliaska, the Aleutian Islands, and the southern part of the west 

 coast of Alaska. It extends to the Asiatic side of Behring Sea, 

 but contains but few characteristic species. The fauna of con- 



