294 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 



places in these valleys where the soil is loose there is an abun- 

 dance of Coldenia fusea. 



This island was visited during the months of July and Octo- 

 ber, in consequence of which the annual vegetation, which comes 

 on during the rainy season, was missed entirely. Very few re- 

 mains of such plants were found on either of our visits as goats 

 have been introduced upon this island during the last few years 

 which eat up all of the edible vegetation as fast as it grows. 

 Even the trunks of the large Opuntia trees do not escape their 

 ravages. 



BiNDLOE Island. 



This island is the largest of the group of three which lie some 

 distance north of the main part of the archipelago. It is eight 

 miles long, six and one-half miles broad, and its highest part at- 

 tains an elevation of 800 ft. according to the chart issued by the 

 Hydrographic Office. When seen from a distance the island ap- 

 pears to be made up of numerous small peaks which vary in ele- 

 vation. The greater part of the island is covered with beds of 

 recent lava which consist mostly of volcanic cinder. The whole 

 of the north side, along which we sailed, is covered with such de- 

 posits, on which there are occasional exposures of older lava 

 which support a considerable amount of vegetation. 



We anchored on the northeast side of the island near where 

 a broad strip of country, covered with deposits of tufa, extends 

 down to the shore. This area is covered with vegetation, appar- 

 ently the largest continuous body of such on the island. 



A few small green patches, evidently halophytic plants of 

 of some kind, were noticed along the north shore of the island 

 as we were sailing past it. With this exception, no halophytes 

 were seen, as the shores are too steep in most places to support 

 them. 



The vegetation is arranged in irregular clumps in the vicinity 

 of the shore with broad opon lanes between them. The vegeta- 

 tion here is made up mostly of low bushes of Euphorbia amplexi- 

 caule, E, articulata, Castela galapageia, and low thickets of 

 Opuntia. This open arrangement disappears inland and the 

 country is heavily covered with xerophytic vegetation. The 

 only trees found here are those of Bursera graveolens which 

 grow quite large considering the very dry conditions which pre- 

 vail. They are sometimes covered with vines of Ipomoea Habel- 



