CHAP. XIII.] ISLANDS TO THOSE OF THE MAINLAND. 333 



difference in their inhabitants! The inhabitants of the Cape 

 Verde Islands are related to those of Africa, like those of the 

 Galapagos to America. Facts such as these, admit of no sort of 

 explanation on the ordinary view of independent creation ; 

 whereas on the view here maintained, it is obvious that the 

 Galapagos Islands would be likely to receive colonists from 

 America, whether by occasional means of transport or (though 

 I do not believe in this doctrine) by formerly continuous land, 

 and the Cape Verde Islands from Africa; such colonists would 

 be liable to modification, the principle of inheritance still 

 betraying their original birthplace. 



Many analogous facts could be given : indeed it is an almost 

 universal rule that the endemic productions of islands are related 

 to those of the nearest continent, or of the nearest large island. 

 The exceptions are few, and most of them can be explained. 

 Thus although Kerguelen Land stands nearer to Africa than to 

 America, the plants are related, and that very closely, as we know 

 from Dr. Hooker's account, to those of America : but on the view 

 that this island has been mainly stocked by seeds brought with 

 earth and stones on icebergs, drifted by the prevailing currents, 

 this anomaly disappears. New Zealand in its endemic planes is 

 much more closely related to Australia, the nearest mainland, 

 than to any other region: and this is what might have been 

 expected ; but it is also plainly related to South America, which, 

 although the next nearest continent, is so enormously remote, 

 that the fact becomes an anomaly. But this difficulty partially 

 disappears on the view that New Zealand, South America, and 

 bhe other southern lands have been stocked in part from a nearly 

 intermediate though distant point, namely from the antarctic 

 islands, when they were clothed with vegetation, during a warmer 

 tertiary period, before the commencement of the last Glacial 

 period. The affinity, which though feeble, I am assured by 

 Dr. Hooker is real, between the flora of the south-western corner 

 of Australia and of the Cape of Good Hope, is a far more 

 remarkable case ; but this affinity is confined to the plants, and 

 will, no doubt, some day be explained. 



The same law which has determined the relationship between 

 the inhabitants of islands and the nearest mainland, is sometimes 

 displayed on a small scale, but in a most interesting manner, 

 within the limits of the same archipelago. Thus each separate 

 island of the Galapagos Archipelago is tenanted, and the fact is a 

 marvellous one, by many distinct species; but these species are 

 related to each other in a very much closer manner than to the 

 inhabitants of the American continent, or of any other quarter of 

 the world. This is what might have been expected, for islands 

 situated so near to each other would almost necessarily receive 



