66 The Oologists' Record, September i, 1922. 



CLIMATIC CONDITIONS IN THE ARCTIC AND NEW 

 POSSIBILITIES OF ARCTIC TRAVEL. 



By The Editor. 



The Arctic has a great interest for all oologists and we propose 

 to quote at length from an article by Vilhjalmur Stefansson in the 

 August issue of the " National Geographic Magazine " (Washington). 

 The object of Mr. Stefansson's article is to point out the great advan- 

 tages of the transarctic route for inter-continental air travel in 

 summer, and he looks to a time when it will be crossed in many 

 directions by regular air routes, -for which repair and supply stations 

 will be established at convenient points. The opening up of the 

 Arctic in this manner would be of great scientific interest to oologists 

 and enable those with leisure to visit spots that are at present 

 quite inaccessible except to an expedition specially equipped for the 

 purpose. But many of our readers will be still more interested in 

 what Mr. Stefansson says about the climatic conditions of the Arctic 

 regions, and the accessibility of many spots of peculiar oological im- 

 portance. 



" The map of the Northern Hemisphere," writes Mr. Stefansson, 

 ' shows that the Arctic Ocean is a huge Mediterranean. It hes 

 ' between the continent somewhat as the Mediterranean lies 

 ' between Europe and Africa. In the past, it has been an impass- 

 ' able Mediterranean. In the near future, it will not only become 

 ' passable, but will become a favourite air route between the con- 

 ' tinents^ at least at certain seasons — safer, more comfortable, and 

 ' consisting of much shorter " hops " than any other air route that 

 ' lies across tlie oceans that separate the present -dav centres of 

 'population." 



" . . . in the summer season at least it will be thought an 

 " absurdity for those in a hurry to go from England to Japan by 

 " way of either New York on Montreal. They will fly by way of 

 " the North Cape of Norway and Novaya Zemlya." 



* * H: * * * * 



" The airman may change his wind from fair to foul by raising 

 " or lowering his craft. It is, therefore, impossible to say now 

 " just where the transpolar air routes will lie, and indeed they will 

 " probably always vary from day to da}-. But, wherever they lie, 

 " they are sure to be advantageous commercially and popular with 



