Vor. I] STEWART—BOTANY OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 225 
what similar conditions were noticed on both Hood and Charles 
Islands. On the first of these the spring season was just 
beginning in February, and on the second it appeared to be 
about as far advanced in March as it had been on Chatham 
in January. The greatest difference in the time at which this 
season occurs on two adjacent islands, was noticed on Abing- 
don and Bindloe Islands, which are separated from each other 
by a distance of only about thirteen miles. The vegetation on 
the lower parts of Bindloe was very dry and parched indeed in 
the month of September, as it is on the lower parts of most 
the other islands at this time of year; while on Abingdon most ~ 
of the deciduous vegetation was coming into leaf and the 
common spring weeds were springing up all over the lower 
parts of the south side of the island. Whether this condition 
of affairs occurs yearly or not, is impossible to state, but it is 
evident that the seasons were very much reversed on these two 
islands in 1906. 
Heat 
Considering the fact that these islands lie directly on the 
equator, the average temperature is quite low, ranging from 
70°-80° F. throughout the greater part of the year. It never 
becomes extremely hot, and at times is really too cool for 
comfort. We arrived at Hood Island, the most southern 
member of the group, on Sunday morning, September 24, 
1905. After coming to anchor and getting the vessel generally 
ship-shape, we hoisted an awning over the forward deck and 
the members of the party collected under it to read or other- 
wise pass the day. It was not long, however, until we began 
to move out from under the awning into the sun, as it was 
really too cool for comfort in the shade, somewhat lightly clad 
as we were. The sun was not hot, but just comfortably warm, 
and felt as it does on an early day in spring in temperate 
latitudes. The rather remarkable thing about the incident 
was that we were but eighty-two miles south of the equator, 
with the sun almost directly overhead at this time of year. 
It was the intention at first to get daily maximum and 
minimum temperatures throughout the year, but as the only 
maximum temperature thermometer we had, was broken soon 
after we arrived at the islands, this plan had to be abandoned 
and air and water temperatures were taken instead at intervals 
