DURING THE RECENT ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



99 



not have been better performed. I think also that Capt. Feildcn's 

 botanical collections proved of no mean importance. 



In stating that neither of the naturalists was an entomologist 

 I do so in no apologetic spirit. On the contrary, I believe that 

 uader scarcely any circumstances would it have been possible for 

 a more complete collection of insects to have been made ; and 

 when I presently enter into some details, the justice of this re- 

 mark will become apparent. If we take into consideration the 

 conditions under which these two gentlemen worked, the amount 

 of materials is surprising. AVe will concede that the chase after 

 a butterfly or a bee in the Arctic regions may be looked upon 

 as a heat-producing exbilarating pursuit ; on the other hand, it 

 must be remembered tliat a very considerable portion of the col- 

 lection consists of forms that require searching for under the 

 snow or half-frozen earth, and amongst moss and dwarf herbage, 

 necessitating a prostrate position tending to the rapid elimination 

 of heat, and which, if long continued, must detract very strongly 

 from the comfort of the collector. 



When Capt. Feilden (at the suggestion of the Council of the 

 Eoyal Society) did me the honour to ask me to work out the 

 Insecta, I consented after much hesitation. It is probable that 

 it was expected all would receive attention from me personally. 

 But it became necessary to point out that this could not be 

 done by one alone. Entomology has become a subject more 

 extensive tban all the other branches of zoological science com- 

 bined; and by the Arachnida being included it was here ex- 

 tended almost beyond its broadest limits : it was necessary, there- 

 fore, to explain that the assistance of specialists must be sought. 

 Acting upon this, the Spiders were placed in the hands of the Eev. 

 O. Pickard Cambridge, our best authority; the Acari have re- 

 ceived the attention of Mr. Andrew Murray *, who has recently 

 paid considerable attention to the group ; and I was fortunate in 

 obtaining the opinion of Baron von Osten-Sacken upon the rather 

 numerous and especially diflGlculfc Dipteraf. The remaining 

 orders have (with occasional help) been attended to by myself. 



Capt. Feilden especially desired that this Eeport should refer 

 only to materials collected from the parallel of 78° northward — in 



* Unfortunately this assertion proved almost premature ; see the remarks 

 on p. 121. 



t Baron von Osten- Sacken has also reported upon the Diptera collected by 

 the American 'Polaris' Expedition {vide 'Proc. Bost. Soo. Nat. History/ xix. 

 pp. ^-43, 1877). 



7* 



