﻿PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION 
  

  

  U. 
  S. 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Vol. 
  103 
  Washington 
  : 
  1953 
  No. 
  3322 
  

  

  THE 
  FRESH-WATER 
  TRICLADS 
  (TURBELLARIA) 
  OF 
  ALASKA 
  

  

  By 
  Roman 
  Kenk 
  

  

  Introduction 
  

  

  In 
  1948, 
  during 
  an 
  investigation 
  of 
  biting 
  insects 
  in 
  Alaska 
  con- 
  

   ducted 
  by 
  the 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Entomology 
  and 
  Plant 
  Quarantine, 
  United 
  

   States 
  Department 
  of 
  Agriculture, 
  Dr. 
  Reese 
  I. 
  SaUer 
  collected 
  and 
  

   transmitted 
  to 
  me 
  several 
  samples 
  of 
  fresh-water 
  triclads 
  (planarians) 
  . 
  

   An 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  material 
  revealed 
  that 
  the 
  worms 
  belonged 
  to 
  

   the 
  genus 
  Polycelis, 
  a 
  genus 
  fairly 
  common 
  in 
  Asia 
  and 
  Europe 
  but 
  

   only 
  twice 
  reported 
  from 
  North 
  America. 
  The 
  finding 
  suggested 
  a 
  

   closer 
  relationship 
  of 
  the 
  Alaskan 
  fresh-water 
  fauna 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  East 
  

   Asia. 
  A 
  more 
  thorough 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  triclads 
  of 
  Alaska 
  promised 
  to 
  

   yield 
  a 
  more 
  definite 
  understanding 
  of 
  these 
  zoogeographical 
  relations. 
  

  

  My 
  field 
  trip 
  ^ 
  to 
  Alaska 
  was 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  sunmaer 
  of 
  1950. 
  Since 
  

   the 
  available 
  time 
  was 
  rather 
  limited, 
  the 
  collecting 
  was 
  done 
  mainly 
  

   along 
  the 
  highways 
  of 
  the 
  territory 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  vicinities 
  of 
  Point 
  

   Barrow 
  and 
  Umiat. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  roads 
  and 
  fresh-water 
  localities 
  were 
  visited 
  on 
  the 
  

   trip: 
  Steese 
  Highway 
  in 
  the 
  section 
  between 
  Fairbanks 
  and 
  Birch 
  

   Creek 
  (milepost 
  103); 
  Elliot 
  Highway, 
  from 
  Fairbanks 
  to 
  Livengood; 
  

   tundra 
  lakes 
  and 
  pools 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Point 
  Barrow; 
  ColvUle 
  

   River, 
  several 
  streams, 
  and 
  a 
  lake 
  near 
  Umiat; 
  Mount 
  McKinley 
  

   Park 
  Road, 
  a 
  section 
  of 
  about 
  15 
  miles 
  adjoining 
  the 
  railroad 
  station; 
  

   Glenn 
  Highway, 
  from 
  Anchorage 
  to 
  Glenallen; 
  road 
  from 
  Palmer 
  to 
  

  

  ' 
  This 
  study 
  was 
  supported 
  by 
  the 
  Arctic 
  Institute 
  of 
  North 
  America 
  under 
  contractual 
  arrangement 
  

   with 
  the 
  OfBce 
  of 
  Naval 
  Research. 
  

  

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