ARCHANGEL 



1872 



INTKODUCTION 



IN 1872 my friend Mr. Edward K. Alston and myself, 

 wishing to make an ornithological expedition with hopes 

 of making discoveries of some importance, and of doing 

 our part towards the elucidation of some of the problems 

 which were at that time pressing for solution, turned our 

 attention to the possibilities afforded by the extreme 

 north-eastern portion of Finland, and by the Archangel 

 region, eventually deciding upon the latter. 



The inducements which weighed with us were that the 

 Archangel region afforded us a better chance of meeting 

 with new and really rare species, and that, in addition to 

 its yielding all that we could expect to find in Finland, 

 we could reasonably anticipate finding a great deal more, 

 as well as many rare eastern species. The region, which 

 is the most north-eastern locality* in Europe accessible 

 to a collector, had never been more than half worked by 

 ornithologists, though Meves, of Stockholm, had visited 

 it in 1869. We heard, however, that Dr. Ficssen, of 

 St. Petersbourg, expressed surprise at our preference, and 

 agreed with Professor Newton that the extreme north- 



* Mezen is more north-easterly, and quite accessible (v. 1875). 



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