>>>>>On the first page discussing ecozonal distributions, the word PALEARCTIC puzzles until I realize that the PALE, pronounced PALLY [sic], is from the prefix PALEO- meaning ancient or Old-World. Do we have Friendly Pale(o)-Fire with Promethean implications?
  

Stan is right as always. Did anybody ever notice that?

Amazing, I use term “Palearctic” (or Palaearctic; biogeographic realm including Europe, North Africa and North Asia) almost every day for last 30 years, and I never noticed a pun on Pale Arctic.

VN knew the term well (all his European butterflies were Palearctic species); Zembla is located in Palearctic realm, as does Ultima Thule.

Note that Kinbote (or King Charles) moves from Pale Arctic to Nearctic (northern new World), or Ne Arctic (in Russian, approximately ‘non-Arctic’) USA : the pale Arctic of Zembla fades away.

 

Victor Fet