1892.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 139 



COLLECTING IN THE FAR NORTH. ' 



I.— THE ALASKAN COAST. 

 By H. F. WiCKHAM, Iowa City, Iowa. 



By request of the Editor of Ent. News I place before the 

 reader some account of a Summer trip to Alaska and that part 

 of British Columbia lying back of it drained by the Stikine (or 

 Stikeen) River, Although some parts of the territory are quite 

 easy of access, the distance from all centres of trade and ordinary 

 routes of travel have combined with the general ideas as to climate 

 and the unattractiveness of the insect fauna, to keep entomolo- 

 gists from visiting them — consequently comparatively little has 

 been done to increase our knowledge in this direction since the 

 time of the Russian explorations. The following notes are in- 

 tended simply to convey an idea as to the general character of 

 the places visited from an entomological standpoint, but by the 

 kindness of Dr. Horn, in giving his aid in identifying beetles, the 

 correctness of what is placed on record relating to the Coleoptera 

 is secured. A complete list of these insects is in preparation, and 

 will be presented at as early a date as practicable, so that any 

 indefiniteness of specification in this paper will be remedied. 



Leaving Tacoma about the middle of June, a run of four days 

 brought me to the first stopping-place in Alaska — the Yes Bay 

 cannery — and as the steamer was to remain a few hours unloading 

 freight, I went ashore to get some insects if possible. The rugged 

 surface of the land with its heavy growth of conifers and thickets 

 of blueberry intermixed with a vile plant known as the " devil's 

 club" {Fatsia horrida) is not conducive to either ease or comfort 

 while collecting, and the excessive dampness forms still another 

 drawback. The ground is covered everywhere with a luxuriant 

 carpet of moss, often many inches deep, into which the feet sink 

 at every step. But little was found here, only a half dozen Pter- 

 ostichus castaneus^ a few Staphylinidae, twenty or thirty little 

 moths, a fly or two and a couple of Hymenoptera. The moths 

 were flying around the flowers of the devil's club," and before I 

 had taken all the whistle of the steamer called me back. Shortly 

 after we touched at the Loring cannery, where I took nothing 

 but one or two Scolytidae flying around newly-cut timber. 



Early the next morning we were running along the shore of 

 Wrangel Island, which lies close to the mainland of Alaska, the 



