THE STORY OF AN ENTOMOLOGIST 



he replied that he had been in the Arctic. I told him about my 

 lunch with Biederbeck and Brainard. 



"Oh," he said, "I was on the De Long relief expedition, and 

 we put in at Halifax, where the Greely people were outfitting. A 

 number of each crew met in a bar-room and started a row. The 

 'blue-nose' police were called in, and both parties of Americans 

 joined forces and cleaned out the police. I remember your man 

 Biederbeck. He was a big young German, and Lord! how he 

 could fight!" 



I shall never forget Nansen's first lecture at Washington. After 

 it, a reception was given in his honor by the National Geographic 

 Society at the old Arlington Hotel. Graham Bell, then the Presi- 

 dent of the Society, introduced General Greely as the appropriate 

 person to introduce Dr. Nansen, since it was he who held "the 

 next Farthest North record." Greely's address was particularly 

 happy. He referred at once to Dr. Bell's words and went on: "I 

 am reminded of an incident of the first America's yacht race of! 

 Cowes. Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, had gone down to see the 

 finish. After a time she asked the attending English admiral what 

 news had been received about the vessels. 



"Alas, Your Majesty," said the Admiral, "the America seems 

 to be in the lead." 



A little later the Queen repeated her question and received the 

 same reply. At length the race was over, and she asked the Ad- 

 miral which vessel had won. 



With great reluctance he replied, "The America." 



"Which vessel was second?" said the Queen, 



"Alas, Your Majesty," said the Admiral, "there was no second!" 



There is an interesting recollection of an incident that occurred 

 as Mrs. Howard and I were just about to enter the lecture hall. 

 Immediately ahead of us in the line was my old friend Dr. Swan 

 Burnett, and with him a frail little man whom I had met at the 



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