38 PERCY SLADEN TRUST EXPEDITION 



H 



The total number of specimens collected can be only very roughly guessed at, but 

 is probably somewhere over 50,000. Many species are represented by large series of 

 specimens. It is intended to place a set of specimens, including types of new species, in 

 the British Museum, and to retain as complete a set as possible, with co-types whenever they 

 are present, in the Cambridge University Museum. The majority of the specimens were 

 got in the Seychelles, mostly from the mountain-forests, in the above described expedition 

 of 1908 — 9 : but the collection includes some thousands of insects obtained by Mr J. O. F. 

 Fryer in the coral-atoll of Aldabra (1908 — 9), and also a considerable number of specimens 

 collected by the H.M.S. " Sealark " Expedition under Professor J. Stanley Gardiner in 

 1905, in the Seychelles, Amirantes, and other islands in this region. Even a first glance 

 is enough to show that the insect-fauna of Aldabra presents a decidedly different facies 

 to that of the Seychelles, which might be expected from the very different nature and 

 geographical position of the two places. 



The usual difficulties connected with the collecting and preservation of insects in 

 a hot and very damp climate were experienced. Large quantities of crude carbolic acid 

 had to be used, to keep away mould, Psocidse, ants, etc. Damp proved to be about the 

 worst enemy, mould even once appearing on some moths in a box which had already been 

 heavily carbolised, though not sufficiently for such a climate. Several instalments of 

 specimens were sent to England in advance, to get them sooner out of the climate. While 

 staying at Cascade 1 more than once placed storeboxes full of specimens for a short time 

 in the house which is used for drying vanilla and other spices grown on the estate : this 

 treatment seemed beneficial in warding off the evil effects of damp. Almost all the Dipterous 

 and Neuropterous insects, and many other specimens besides, were pinned in the islands, 

 pins of solid silver wire being employed in order to avoid the corrosion which sets in very 

 rapidly if ordinary entomological pins are used. The great bulk of specimens, including 

 almost all the Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and many Orthoptera, etc., were packed in 

 sawdust. 



The collections made should be thoroughly representative of the insect-fauna of 

 the Seychelles. Many more species, however, doubtless remain to be discovered in this 

 archipelago, which, considering its small size and isolated position, appears to be so rich 

 in insect-life. Owing to the clearing of the lower forests and the great reduction of the 

 areas covered by endemic vegetation generally, many native insects have probably become 

 extremely rare or even extinct. The statement about the representative nature of the 

 material applies particularly to that collected in the endemic mountain -forests of Mahe 

 and Silhouette. They are by far the most important collecting-grounds, and to them 

 I devoted by far the greater part of my time, camping either in or very near to them, 

 going over the ground as thoroughly as possible, and in some cases returning often to the 

 same area and searching it minutely. It may be hoped that the entomological investigation 

 of these forests will be proved to approach somewhere near to completeness. The same 

 cannot be said with regard to the marshes near the coasts of Mahd, nor to the island 

 of Praslin. Time did not permit of my doing more than just touching on these places. 

 Praslin above all would probably repay richly minute investigation, both of the remaining 

 patches of its highly peculiar native forest, and perhaps also of certain marshy areas. 



