Vot. II, Pr. 11] GIFFORD—BIRDS OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 227 
22. Geospiza fortis: STuRDY GROUND FINCH 
Abingdon, Albemarle, Barrington, Bindloe, Champion, 
Charles, Chatham, Cowley, Daphne, Duncan, Gardner-near- 
_Charles, Hood, Indefatigable, James, Jervis, Narborough, 
Seymour, and Wenman islands. 
Next to the Sooty Ground Finch, this species and the 
Cactus Finch were the two most abundant and widely dis- 
tributed finches of the archipelago. It was common on 
Champion during my first visit, on Abingdon, Albemarle, 
Chatham, Daphne, Duncan, Indefatigable, and South Sey- 
mour. It was very common on Charles. On the other 
islands it was not scarce, except on such small ones as 
Wenman and Cowley. Individuals of this species do not 
seem to be as numerous anywhere as are the Sooty Ground 
Finches, nor have they such a wide altitudinal distribution 
as the latter. 
They were found in the dry zone of the islands listed 
above. Several birds, apparently of this species, were taken 
on Hood in February and June. They did not frequent 
the seashore at low tide as did the Sooty Ground Finches. 
One or two were found in the humid region on south Inde- 
fatigable at about 425 feet elevation in November. On 
Duncan they frequented the south crater which is within 
the dry region. On James in December a few were noted 
below the moist region. Again on south Indefatigable in 
January, several were noted in the moist region. They 
were also frequently seen at the water hole at Academy 
Bay. On Charles they were common from the seashore to 
the top of the highest peak. On Iguana Cove Mountain, 
Albemarle, in March, they were common above 250 feet 
elevation, but one being seen below. On Tagus Cove 
Mountain, Albemarle, in April, they were seen in the arid 
region above 1500 feet as well as at the base of the moun- 
tain. Twice at our camp on the shores of Banks Bay, 
Albemarle, in April, I observed one of these birds in the 
mangroves. In this locality they were seen in the gently 
sloping country at the base of the steep and lofty northern 
peak of Albemarle. On the north side of Narborough 
during the same month several were taken on the lower 
slopes of the mountain. On southeast Albemarle a few 
