270 MR. O. SALVIN ON THE AVIFAUNA OF [Apr. 6, 
Narborough, as well as Albemarle, is frequently the scene of violent 
volcanic eruptions—Narborough being from this cause almost entirely 
devoid of vegetation, itssurface presenting vast fields of lavaand volcanic 
scorie. 
The vegetation in these islands is nowhere dense, but is more 
luxuriant in the eastern and central islands, especially in the higher 
grounds inland. These, being usually enveloped in clouds, are damp, 
and thus foster a richer vegetation than the low-lying lands adjoining 
the sea-coast. 
The climate of the archipelago is mild, owing to the influence of 
the great south polar current which passes through it. Little rain 
falls except during the months of November, December, and January ; 
consequently there is a great scarcity of water during the rest of the 
year—so much so, that water is only to be found, near the sea, during 
the whole year, in one place in Chatham Island. In the interior of 
the islands perennial pools exist. 
The islands appear to have been first discovered by the Spaniards 
in the 16th century ; but the exact date is not known. The name 
Galapagos Islands, derived from the abundance of Tortoises found on 
them, is that under which they appear in a map bearing the date 
1592, and under which they are mentioned in the voyage of Sir 
Richard Hawkins in 1593. There is no reason to suppose that the 
Spaniards ever frequented them to any extent. To the buccaneers, 
who cruised along the western shores of America towards the close 
of the 17th century, they were a place of constant resort—the great 
Tortoises, as well as the quantity of Turtle and Fish, providing them 
with fresh food, of which they often stood in need, 
The same abundance of food also attracted the whaling-ships after 
the buccaneers had disappeared from these coasts. The number of 
whalers requiring refreshments suggested the attempt at colonizing 
Charles Island; but with the decline of the Whale-fisheries, both ships 
and colonists have almost disappeared, and, at the present time, these 
islands appear to be only visited by a few vessels from the coast of the 
mainland, some for fishing, others for collecting Orchilla or Archil. 
The effects on the birds of the Galapagos Islands of the visits of 
vessels and the attempts at colonization do not appear to have re- 
sulted at present in any great diminution in their numbers; but as 
pigs and goats, as well as cattle, cats, and dogs, are now established 
in several of the islands, these can hardly fail ultimately to affect the 
indigenous avifauna. As regards the Tortoises, the appearance of 
mau in these islands has been very destructive. These animals in 
some of the islands have been wholly extirpated ; and in all the large 
islands old individuals have been killed off, leaving only smaller indi- 
viduals to represent them. 
The earlier writers on this archipelago make few allusions to the 
Birds. Some of the larger sea-birds are sometimes mentioned, and 
the Pigeon seems, from its tameness and from its excellence as food, 
to have usually attracted attention; but no collection of Birds was 
made until Mr. Darwin visited the islands during the surveying- 
voyage of H.M.S. ‘Beagle’ in 1835. A collection of some extent 
