[ 447 ] 



X. On the Avifauna of the Galapagos Archipelago. 

 By OsBEKT Salvin, M.A., F.E.S., &c. 



Read April 6th, 1875. 



[Plates LXXXIV. to LXXXIX.] 



COKIENTS, 



I. Introductory remarks : situation, number, and 

 size of the different islands of the archipelago ; 

 geological formation ; climate &c. ; date of their 

 discovery ; attempts at colonization ; subsequent 

 intercourse with the mainland, and its effect on 

 the indigenous avifauna ; Dr. Habel's account 



of his visit page 447 



n. Short account of the literature relating to the 



birds of the Galapagos 461 



III. List of the species of birds found in the archi- 

 pelago, and remarks on their relationship to the 



birds of other countries — (n) as to species, (t) 



as to genera, and (c) as to families . . page 463 



IV. Summary of the birds found in each island 466 



V. On the variation of the species in certain genera 



and the consequent difficulty in defining specific 



limits 469 



VI. Account of each species, with references, descrip- 

 tion of peculiar species, their distribution, habits, 



and general remarks 471 



VII. Concluding remarks 509 



I. Introductory Remarks. 

 In the volume of the Society's ' Proceedings ' for 1870 Mr. Sclater and I published a 

 brief summary of an important collection of birds made by Dr. Habel in the Galapagos 

 Islands'. The object of the present memoir is to give the particulars of that collection 

 in greater detail, to incorporate the notes on the habits and other peculiarities of the 

 birds drawn up by Dr. Habel himself, and to treat generally of the avifauna of this 

 singular group of islands. 



To make my paper more complete I have added a short account of the history, 

 structure, and physical features of the islands with regard to their bearing on the 

 indigenous products. This account is drawn from the writings of various travellers ; 

 and to it I have added an account of his visit, furnished by Dr. Habel himself. 



The Galapagos archipelago (PI. LXXXIV.) comprises a group of fifteen islands, 

 together with a number of outlying rocks, which, situated under the equator, and, 

 extending a degree and a half on either side of it, cover about three degrees of longi- 

 tude (from 89° to 92° W. of Greenwich). They are about 600 miles to the westward 

 of the coast of South America, and belong to the Republic of Ecuador. 



One island, Albemarle^, is considerably larger than the rest; four others, Narborough, 



' P. Z. S. 1870, pp. 322-327. 



' Nomenclature of the Islands. — The names I have used throughout this paper are derived from the Admiralty 

 chart (No. 1375), compiled from the surveys of Captain Fitz-Eoy and the oflcers of H.M.S. 'Beagle.' It may, 



VOL. LX. — PART IX. May, 1876. 3 p 



