374 



C. SKOTTSBERG 



Die Seichtwasser-Fauna weist deutlicher als die geologischen \'erliiiltnisse darauf 

 hin, dass Masatierra in der Tliat als eine ozeanische Insel anzusehen ist, die nie in 

 Zusammenhang mit dem Festland gestanden haben kann . . . (p. 228), 



but this did not prevent him from believing that Masatierra and Masafuera once 

 formed a single large island, in spite of the distance (92 miles) and the deep 

 water that separates them (p. 222). No more will be said here about a connection 

 with the mainland; I have already discussed this question from an algologist's 

 viewpoint, and with a different result i^jS). 



The reason why GOURLAV rejected all land connections was his conxiction 

 of the easiness with which plants and animals are transported; the under-title of 

 his article reads "Plants make ocean voyages". He had little faith in the birds, 

 wind and sea were the principal means of transportation, and as so many others 

 he pointed to Krakatau as the classical example. The distance was very small, 

 it is true, but winds and currents were favourable along the coast region of 

 South America, and the flora was derived from southern Chile. Of the genera and 

 species quite without relations not only in Chile, but in all America, he said 

 nothing. 



Burger, who had visited the islands, followed JoiIOW; they were typically 

 oceanic. After telling us about some of the most remarkable endemics, he exclaims: 



Wer brachte diesen entlegenen Stiitten solch kostliches Geschenk? Die Stromung, 

 die Vogel und vor allem die Winde. Sie beluden sich niit Sporen und Samen. . . . 

 selbst vom Feuerlande empfangenes gedieh. Doch aus viel weiteren Fernen kamen die 

 Einwanderer, auch vom tropischen Amerika, Polynesien, ja sogar von Australien und 

 Neuseeland und den Inseln des Indischen Ozeans (pp. 17-18). 



The majority of the newcomers remained true to their stock in spite of the 

 changed conditions, but others changed and some took such a fancy to the 

 climate that from being herbs they became trees. I shall leave these speculations 

 without comment; we have better reason to observe GOETSCIi's paper which, 

 in spite of being fairly recent, contains many amazing statements not supported 

 by facts. Ignoring Ql'ENSEL's report on the geology, he tells us that the islands 

 rest "auf einem Sockel von griinlichem Andesit, der auch die Hauptmasse der 

 Anden bildet". He had seen my writings on the flora; the use he made of them 

 may be illustrated by a couple of examples. Among the plants introduced from 

 Europe he mentions ."Aromo aus Castilien" — this is a local name for the en- 

 demic Acara fernandeziana\ He rejects all land connections, the sandal-wood 

 came from the East Indies; he had not observed that it belongs to a quite dif- 

 ferent section than Santaluni album. The arborescent Conipositae and Plaiitago had 

 originated in the islands, '' Plantago fernandczia und Skottsbcrgii, 1-2 m hoch mit 

 20 cm langen und 3 1/2 cm breiten, an der Spitze des Stammes stehenden Blat- 

 tern". He overlooked that the so-called P. Skoitsbergii is a modest annual and 

 a form of the common Chilean trwicata, a variable species. But GoETSCli knows 

 what happened in the islands: "Dass der europaische Wegerich auf Juan Eernandez 

 meterhohe Blutenahren und fusslange Blatter tragt, weist auf die Entwickelung 

 hin, die seine Verwandten einstmal nahmen" (p. 29). This refers to P. Itviceo/ata, 



