54 Fhitz Johansen and I. C. XiKLSt;N. The Insects of the "Danmark" Expedition. 



on Ihe down grade; the Bombus females begin to seek their winter 

 quarters and here and there we find a dead butterfly, whilst the 

 living imagines have disappeared. The air becomes strangely still, 

 the migratory birds are ready to depart, and of the previously so 

 lively, buzzing flies and gnats we now meet with but isolated indi- 

 viduals, which will clearly soon die. Spiders and mites hold out 

 the longest and run about the whole day, whilst the still living 

 insects have gone to their winter shelters under stones and tufts of 

 plants. Thin ice lies on the freshw^ater lakes at nights and the time 

 soon comes when the sun's warmth of the day is not sufficient to 

 melt it; the winter has begun. 



We have now completed the entomological survey of North East 

 Greenland for one whole year. How far the various insects go in 

 towards the inland ice I have not sufficient observations to 

 determine, but from isolated finds it appears that at least the butter- 

 flies, flies, gnats and spiders are found right up on the "nuna land" 

 of the inland ice. Thus amongst others an Anarta pupa Avas found 

 in a Dryas plant on a peak 10—12 miles from the margin of the 

 inland ice. 



If we compare the summers of 1907 and 1908 with respect to 

 the insect life we find the interesting condition, that although the 

 country in 1908 was much later in becoming clear of snow than in 

 1907 (with the consequence that the plants began to blossom some- 

 what later in 1908) the insect life on land was earlier in 1908 than 

 in 1907. The mean temperature namely was highest in 1908, 

 and when it is likewise remembered, that the hibernating land 

 insects (larvae etc.) are found on dry places free of snow, it becomes 

 clear what is the most essential factor for the early or late begin- 

 ning of the insect life. The animal life of the freshwater lakes, 

 on the other hand, was much later in 1908 than in 1907, as the 

 lakes are often the places where most snow lies and they are hardly 

 free of ice before well into June. 



