NOTE ON THE HYMENOPTERA, ETC. 355 



species, which were lost during their disastrous journey. They 

 still, however, brought many insects to England, and in the 

 ' Fauna Boreall- Americana' these insects are described by the 

 venerable Kirby. The species of Hymenoptera are very few ; 

 there are only thirty-two altogether; the circumstances attend- 

 ing the journey not admitting of their collection and preserva- 

 tion. 



"An eminent man, reasoning on such data as he had, has re- 

 corded his belief that it will be found that Hymenoptera do not 

 abound in British North America ; now it may be remarked in 

 making generalisations on the distribution of animals, espe- 

 cially those of the lower orders, ' that, before generalising on 

 a collection from any place not often visited or not often ex- 

 plored, attention be paid to the taste or tastes, or, in other 

 words, to the bias or direction of the eye, hand, and mind of 

 the person or persons who collect, supposing such reasoning is 

 recorded as on authentic data.' 



" Mr. George Barnston, to whose researches Sir John Rich- 

 ardson directed public attention in the 'Edinburgh New Phi- 

 losophical Journal' for April, 1841, has published a very ad- 

 mirable summary of the Progress of the Seasons as affecting 

 Animals and Vegetables at Martin's Falls, Albany River, 

 James's Bay, about lat. 51° 30' N., and in long. 86° 20' W. In 

 this fresh and refreshing journal, there are more than indications 

 that Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Neuroptera abound. In a 

 year or two afterwards Mr. Barnston came to London and pre- 

 sented his collection to the British Museum. 



" As one instance of his excellence as a collector, I may men- 

 tion that Mr. Walker, who named and described the species 

 of Diptera in the Cabinet of the British Museum, has alluded 

 to or has described nearly 250 species of his dipterous insects 

 from the single station mentioned above ; there being only 

 14 species of these insects recorded in the 'Fauna Boreali- 

 Americana'' of the Rev. Wm. Kirby. Mr. Barnston's researches 

 among the Neuroptera also were considerable and very valuable. 

 One insect brought by him, the Pteronarcys regalis (although 

 previously found in Canada), afforded Mr. Newport a fit sub- 



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