198 THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES 



respects. On the otlior luuul, there is a considerable de- 

 gree of resemblance in the vt^Ieauie nature of the soil, 

 in the climate, height, and size of the islands, between 

 the Galapagos and Cape de Verde Archipelagoes: but what 

 an entire and absolute difference in their inhabitants! 

 The inhabitants of the Cape de Verde Islands are related 

 to those of Africa, like those of the Galapagos to Amer- 

 ica. 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 Gala- 

 pagos 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 de 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, 



