Galapagos Islands 67 



would rather be lifted by its tail than jump into the 

 sea. Darwin wrote: "Perhaps this singular piece of 

 apparent stupidity may be accounted for by the cir- 

 cumstance that this reptile has no enemy whatever on 

 shore, whereas at sea it must often fall a prey to the 

 numerous sharks. Hence, probably, urged by a fixed 

 and hereditary instinct that the shore is its place of 

 safety, whatever the emergency may be, it there takes 

 refuge." Mr. Beebe does not deny that sharks occa- 

 sionally come close to the shore, or that they now 

 and again take toll of swimming lizards, but he seems 

 inclined to lay more stress on the fact that the sea- 

 lizards cannot stand rough water. They would be 

 smashed by big breakers, and though they may be 

 seen feeding in the surf they prefer the quiet waters 

 of the coves. 



The Galapagos Islands are not overrun with visi- 

 tors, and the sea-lizards are not in the least afraid 

 of man. They allow themselves to be stroked, to be 

 caught in a noose and swung in the air, and to be 

 lifted by the tail, which never breaks off. They do not 

 try to bite man, and if they scratch, it is by mistake. 

 They follow the visitor with interested eyes. Their 

 reactions are few; they clutch the rough volcanic 

 rocks with their talon-like claws ; they inflate their 

 body when excited, and send out from their nostrils 

 a double jet of watery breath. When two adult males 

 meet on the road they raise themselves high on their 

 front legs and nod vigorously two or three times; 

 they sniff and pass on. In the same dignified way the 

 male approaches his desired mate. The eggs, about 



