DERIVATION OF THE FLORA AND FAUNA 375 



which luxuriates in the islands, but cannot prove that the arborescent P. fer7ian- 

 dezia evolved from one of the many Chilean species with which, from a system- 

 atic viewpoint, it has nothing to do. 



GOETSCH was, perhaps, more familiar with zoology, but where he got the 

 impression that the lower fauna was extremely poor, I cannot tell, unless Joiiow's 

 meagre list was his only source. A considerable number of land shells and in- 

 sects had been described, and everything tended to show that they represented 

 but fragments of the fauna. The most efficient dispersal agent was, in this case, 

 the current. 



Wir wissen, dass die warmen Stromungen Ozeaniens bis an die Insel reichen 

 und australische Pflanzen und Tiere verfrachten konnen. Aus diesem Grunde muss 

 zwar die Insel auch ausserhalb des sog. Humboldtstroms liegen, der von der Antarctis 

 bis zum Aequator und der siidamerikanischen Westkiiste lauft. Wir wissen aber nun 

 seit neueren Untersuchungen, dass dieser sog. Humboldtstrom keineswegs ein conti- 

 nuierliches Fliessen in nordlicher Richtung ist, sondern dass Oberflachen-Wasser vom 

 Lande wegstromt und durch kaltes aus tieferen Schichten ersetzt wird. Der chilenische 

 und patagonische Einfluss ist dadurch gesichert. 



From what he just said we learn that the Humboldt current, whatever it is, 

 and the upwelling cold water do not reach as far as Masatierra. On the other 

 hand, it is not true that, as GOOU says {log. 220), Juan Fernandez lies entirely 

 outside the Pacific beach drift. Drift-wood is found on the western side of Masa- 

 fuera, but it shows very rough handling and must have been months or rather 

 years under way, and if one has seen the place one feels convinced that not a 

 single plant owes its presence in the island to this mode of conveyance, not to 

 speak of the fauna. But GOETSCli believes that also the tropical element in the 

 flora has arrived by sea; he continues: 



Wir wissen endlich, dass vom Norden her dann dem Humboldtstrom eine warme 

 Meeresstromung entgegenwirkt, der sogenannte Nino, der sich periodisch in einzelnen 

 Jahren so geltend machen kann, dass seine Wirkung bis Valparaiso gespiirt wird. . . . 

 Damit findet auch der tropische Einschlag in Fauna und Flora seine Erklarung (p. 38). 



This cannot refer to the warm currents of Oceania mentioned before, because 

 they came from Australia and did not bring the neotropical element. Does he 

 think of the equatorial counter current which, occasionally, would extend its 

 influence to the South American coast and become deflected south, thereby 

 fetching new passengers.^ This current does not reach the coast. 



Other authors have acted as spokesmen for the bridge-builders. W. A. BRYAN — 

 not having access to his book I quote a newspaper article written by him (joo) — 

 believes that a "prehistoric continent" once embraced the Pacific islands, a theory 

 based on the distribution of the land-snails. Juan Fernandez belonged to the 

 same geological period as Hawaii and their living world proves that at some 

 time they were united. The general biological character is, he says, the same, 

 but there is a slight difference in the species. For details I refer the reader to 

 261, where I have reviewed his book. Bryan was professor of zoology and geology 

 in the University of Hawaii and had visited Juan F'ernandez, but he does not 

 appear to have profited very much by his visit. 



