﻿96 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



as with us, but had no time to make further observations as we 

 had to start very shortly again for Thorshavn. As we advance, 

 the fjord widens, the cliffs seem more stupendous, on our right is 

 the open sea, and in front of us are other islands of the Faroe 

 group which we are rapidly approaching. 



There are twenty-four islands in all, and one of the eastern- 

 most is known as Needle Island, from a cave at one end of the 

 isle forming an aperture right tlirough, and known accordingly 

 as the " eye of the needle." The entrance to Thorshavn is said 

 to be a very ugly one in bad weather, when the S.E. wind 

 prevails. Thorshavn and the fields immediately adjoining appear 

 to me to furnish a link between Iceland and southern civilization. 

 It is true that the Faroe Isles possess no trees except in the 

 garden borders, but in those garden borders there are more and 

 larger currant bushes than in Iceland ; and in addition moun- 

 tain ash trees, willows, sycamores, &c, of fair height ; and more 

 garden flowers grown in the open air, including tiger lilies and 

 monkshood. Then again, I see once more some of our common 

 English wild flowers, which are not to be met with, or at all events 

 I have not found, in Iceland, as the daisy and milkwort {Poly gala). 

 The flowers of the eyebright (Euphrasia) sue larger than in 

 Iceland, and other wild flowers as Caltha palustris more abundant 

 than there. Oats as well as barley are grown at Thorshavn, and 

 the variety and luxuriance of the wild grasses is remarkable. 

 Earwigs and froghoppers, both unseen in Iceland, are beheld 

 once more here. In other respects the Fauna of the two regions 

 would appear to be very similar. Compare the following list of 

 Faroe Island insects, the result of the necessarily brief observa- 

 tion of half a day spent there : — 



Coleoptera. — Nebria hrevicollis, Westmanhavn, Thorshavn. Pter- 

 ostichns* Thorshavn. 



Diptera. — Helophilaspe?idulus,* Thorshavn. Scatophaga stercoraria,* 

 Thorshavn. 



Lepidoptera. — Larentia didymata,* Thorshavn. 



Neuroptera. — Limnephilus griseus, Thorshavn. 



Orthoptera. — Forficula auricularia, Thorshavn. 



Arachnida. — Phalangium longipes,* Thorshavn. 



An asterisk is affixed to such species as are also noticed 

 in Iceland. The Nebria hrevicollis of the Faroes is replaced in 

 Iceland by the slightly smaller but closely allied Nebria gyllenhali. 



I may add, in conclusion, that the Faroe islanders number 

 about 10 or 12,000, and only seven of their twenty-four islands 

 are inhabited. The climate varies but 7° centigrade between 

 summer and winter. 



Dun Mallard, Cricklewood, N.W. 



