446 



insect fauna to tliat of the South l^icitic, requires tlie explora- 

 tion of certain islands or iirou])s of islands. Those which seem 

 to us most important are these: The Galopagos, San duan Fer- 

 nandez, Easter Island, some of the low eastern coral islands 

 such as the Paumotus, the Marquesas, Tahiti, Samoa, the 

 Fijis, and some of the low western coral islands, probably the 

 ^larshall Islands. Aside from these the Bonin Islands are 

 known to have some curious hi(dooical relations which make 

 tlu'ir exploration desirable and the insect fauna of New Zea- 

 land, other than the l)eetle fauna is in great need of further ex- 

 ploration. The island gToups between Fiji and ISTew Guinea, 

 while of very great interest, are so obviously related entomo- 

 logically to Kew' Guinea that their exploration would fall into 

 relation with the exploration of that region rather than with 

 the region which we have under consideration. 



The Galopagos Islands are generally supposed to have l)eeu 

 more or less thoroughly explored entomological ly luit in dis- 

 cussing the matter with Dr. F. X. Williams, who did the 

 entomological work for the California Academy of Sciences 

 Expedition, we learn that he considers that less than fifty per 

 cent of the Galopagos insect fauna is known and that more 

 intense collecting, particularly in the u])land forest, which has 

 proved to have so many peculiar and interesting forms in the 

 Hawaiian Islands, is much to be desired. 



While an exploring voyage such as is being planned at 

 ]n'esent, may, under i>ro])er arrangements, secure results of 

 inestimable value in planning the future work of exploration, 

 it will be a most deplorable mistake to suppose that it will be 

 ])ossible, under the conditions of such a voyage at its very best, 

 to make an adequate entomological exploration of any but the 

 smallest of the islands and then only if there are other matters 

 of importance which are likely to lead to a considerable time 

 being spent there. The only way in which the exjdorations 

 may secure materials upon which any well based opinions can 

 be founded, is to place a well trained man on the ground for 

 a period of not less than one year and in all probability for a 



