SUGGESTIONS FOR RELIABLE HYPOTHESES 173 



thirds of them are Weevils whose larvae live 

 in wood (driftwood). 



3. Hawaii (volcanic ; 400 Km. distant from land) : 



Land Vertebrates 2 Lizards, indigenous ; one 

 of these forms a genus in itself. 



Land Birds 16 species, indigenous ; they are 

 divided into 10 genera of which 5 again form 

 an indigenous family. 



Snails : Achatinella, 20 species, only occurs here. 



Islands of the most recent origin show, as yet, as we 

 might expect, no peculiarities : for instance Krakatoa, 

 near Java (risen in 1883). The 20 plant species (1904) 

 belong to 16 families, just as chance brought them 

 together. 



These examples show in the first place that these 

 islands became populated from the nearest continent, 

 since they are, as can be proved, of volcanic origin, 

 and therefore possessed no creation ' of their own 

 from the beginning. There are, furthermore, found 

 quite predominantly only such animals as can be most 

 easily imported such as snails, whose eggs or larvae 

 abound in mud by Waterfowl, and Beetles (Weevils) 

 whose larvae live in wood by driftwood ; in addition 

 naturally birds, which also show the least indigenous 

 forms because they are not confined to the islands 

 and can cross more freely. 



For the doctrine of descent from the observations 

 given it may be concluded that animals, which are con- 

 fined to a narrowly restricted region where somewhat 



