Stewart — Botanical Conditions pn the Galapagos Islands. 301 



close to the open sea that its roots were covered with water at high 

 tide. There are also dense thickets of Laguncularia racemosa 

 in one or two places near the shore. In the sandy soil near the 

 shore there are thickets of Cryptocarpus pyriforaiis, and Dis- 

 caria pauciflora. 



The low areas in between the craters in the interior region, 

 are usually covered with such a thick growth of bushes of Pro- 

 sopis dulcis as to render traveling difficult. In such places 

 Castela galapageia, Maytenus obovata, Parkinsonia aculeatat, 

 Vallesia pubescens, and Waltheria reticulata forma intermedia 

 are also found. In addition to these a considerable number 

 of herbaceous plants occur among which are : Abutilon cris- 

 pum, Aristida suspicata, Bidens refracta, Cyperus Mutisii, 

 and Tetramerium hispidum. The sides of the craters are rather 

 steep and support a more open vegetation than the valleys 

 surrounding them. Plants which commonly occur on the sides 

 of these craters are : Acacia macracantha, Chiococca alba, 

 Scalesia afifinis, and S. villosa. The interior of some of these 

 craters were filled with a heavy growth of Parikiusonia acu- 

 leata. No ferns or other distinctly mesophytic plants were 

 found on this side of the island, to an elevation of 700 ft., as 

 high as it was explored. 



Chatham Island. 



Chatham is the most eastern island of the group. It is the 

 fifth in size, being exceeded in this respect by Albemarle, Inde- 

 fatigable, Narborough, and James Islands. It is twenty-three 

 miles long and about ten miles broad, the greatest diameter of 

 which extends northeast and southwest. Geologically the island 

 is probably very old as there are few evidences of recent volcanic 

 activity, except in the vicinity of Sappho Cove, on the west side 

 of the island. 



The southern part of the island is most visited as there is a 

 settlement located several miles inland, from which has a good 

 wagon road leads down to Wreck Bay. This part of the island 

 is rather flat for some distance inland, and is covered with a con- 

 siderable amount of soil through which lava boulders project. 

 There are several low lava hills on this part. The northeastern 

 and eastern parts of the island were not visited, but a general 

 survey of these was made from the vessel, and from higher parts 



