328 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1926 
The birds and other animals which formerly existed in the lowlands 
were forced by the gradually rising water to seek higher levels, and 
as a result there is to-day an unusual concentration of animal life in 
the jungles.covering the top of this partially submerged mountain. 
The island is 3.4 miles long and 3.1 miles wide, comprising 3,609 
acres, with a very irregular coast line of about 25 miles. Practically 
the entire area is covered with a vegetation representing primeval 
conditions. The surface of the island is hilly, some of the hills reach- 
ing an elevation of 537 feet above sea level, or about 450 feet above the 
average level of Gatun Lake. Running down between the hills, hidden 
from view by the luxuriant vegetation, are rocky brooks which during 
the rainy season pour turbulent streams into the numerous coves form- 
ing the jagged coast line of the island. These coves are a joy to the 
naturalist who wishes to explore the interesting recesses of the jungle 
in a cayuca, the native dugout canoe. Many of these coves are dotted 
with the stumps and trunks of trees which have been flooded for 
more than 15 years. Practically all of the trees standing in the lake 
are now dead, but many of the stumps are laden with masses of 
ferns, mosses, and other epiphytic plants, including several species 
of beautifully colored orchids. Birds have found here admirable 
nesting sites which are free from the hosts of enemies which are ever 
present on the mainland. In certain places most of the tree trunks 
immersed in the tropical water so long have rotted at the water level, 
fallen, and then, driven by the winds, have collected in protected 
coves, where they are anchored by projecting snags or hemmed in 
between tree trunks. These log masses form floating islands, many 
of which have already grown up with grasses and various plants, 
producing inviting places for the crocodiles and lizards to bask in 
the sun, and excellent feeding places and nesting sites for a host of 
birds. As time goes on, the environment as far as these creatures are 
concerned will improve, and, with the protection given them by the 
Institute for Research, is destined to provide a richness of life the 
equal of which will be found in but few places of the world. On the 
island, it is stated, there are over 2,000 species of flowering plants, 
innumerable species of insects, comprising many yet undescribed, 
and numerous reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals whose 
strange habits and life histories are yet unstudied. Since the island 
has been set aside as a reservation, trails, many of them named after 
benefactors and distinguished naturalists, have been surveyed and 
cleared so that all the more interesting sections of the island are 
readily accessible to those who desire to study the wealth of living 
forms in this wonderland jungle. 
We are indebted to Mr. James Zetek, entomologist of the United 
States Department of Agriculture, stationed at Ancon, Canal Zone, 
who first pointed out the great possibilities of this island as a reser- 
