PROPOSED EXPLORATIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS 263 



V. Opinions on the Plan. 



We here subjoin the opinions of a few well known naturalists on 

 the work proposed in the foregoing plan. 



[Dr. J. A. Allen, American Museum Natural History, N. Y., to 



Dr. Stejneger.] 



New York City, October 19, 1902. 

 My Dear Dr. Stejneger : 



I have read with great care and interest your letter of October 13, 

 outlining the plan and purposes of a biological survey of the Pale- 

 arctic region, as proposed by you and Mr. Gerrit S. Miller, Jr., for 

 the consideration of the Trustees of the Carnegie Institution. I am 

 deeply impressed with its magnitude and importance. It seems like 

 a project so far reaching and beneficent in its influence upon the 

 progress of science that its accomplishment is almost beyond hope, 

 even in these days of great undertakings. Such an enterprise is of 

 course beyond the means of any individual, or of any of our muse- 

 ums or universities. Unless it can be taken up and carried forward 

 as a part of the work of the Carnegie Institution, we shall have to 

 depend in the future, as in the past, upon the independent and un- 

 co-ordinated efforts of individual explorers and collectors for any 

 advance in our knowledge of the biota of this great region and its 

 relation to that of North America. Collections formed in this way 

 are in the first place unsystematic, usually limited to a few classes 

 of objects and to a few restricted areas, and are worked up separate- 

 ly by specialists limited to small amounts of material and without op- 

 portunities for its proper comparison with allied material collected 

 previously at other times and places. Under such unfavorable con- 

 ditions some progress has been made, but under such methods gen- 

 erations will pass before any very thorough and comprehensive 

 knowledge is gained in regard to the constitution and relationships 

 of the biota of the different faunal and floral areas of the Holarc- 

 tic region. 



What is needed is a thoroughly organized and comprehensive 

 scheme of exploration, carefully planned and systematically organ- 

 ized as respects field parties and the areas to be covered by them ; 

 a main base for the outfitting for field work, and to which the col- 

 lections should be returned, and thence distributed to experts for 

 elaboration. It is evident that no government will or can undertake 

 such a survey for obvious geographical and political reasons, and 



