446 



insect fauna to that of the South Pacific, requires the explora- 

 tion of certain islands or i^roups of islands. Those which seem 

 to ns most important are these: The Galopagos, San duan Fer- 

 nandez, Easter Island, some of the low eastern coral islands 

 such as the Panmotns, the Marquesas, Tahiti, Samoa, the 

 Fijis, and some of the low western coral islands, probably the 

 Marshall Islands. Aside from these the Bonin Islands are 

 known to liave some curious biological relations which make 

 their exploration desirable and the insect fauna of New Zea- 

 land, other than the beetle fauna is in great need of f\n-ther ex- 

 ploration. The island groups between Fiji and New Guinea, 

 while of very great interest, are so obviously related entomo- 

 logically to !New Guinea that their ex])loration would fall into 

 relation with the exploration of that region rather than with 

 the region which we have under consideration. 



The Galopagos Islands are generally supposed to have been 

 more or less thoroughly explored entonudogically but in dis- 

 cussing the matter witli Dr. Y. X. Williams, who did the 

 entomological work foi- the Galifornia Academy of Sciences 

 Ex]K'(lition, we learn that he considers that less than iifty per 

 cent of the Galopagos insect fauna is known and that more 

 intense collecting, particularly in the ui)land forest, which has 

 proved to have so many peculiar and interesting forms in the 

 Hawaiian Islands, is much to be desired. 



While an ex])loring voyage such as is being planned at 

 present, may, under ]iro])er arrangements, secure results of 

 inestimable value in ])lanning the future work of ex])loi"ation, 

 it will be a most deplorable mistake to suppose that it will be 

 possible, under the conditions of such a voyage at its very best, 

 to make an adequate entomological ex])loration of any but the 

 smallest of the islands and them only if there are other nuitters 

 of importance which are likely to lead to a considerable time 

 being spent there. The only way in which the explorations 

 may secure materials u])on which any well based opinions can 

 be founded, is to ])lace a Avell trained man on the ground for 

 a period of not less than one year and in all probability for a 



