PROCEEDINGS 
OF THE 
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
FouRTH SERIES 
Vo.. II, Pr. II, No. 15, pp. 299-308 June 16, 1919 
EXPEDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF 
SCIENCES TO THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, 
1905-1906 
XV 
THE ANTS OF COCOS ISLAND! 
BY 
WILLIAM Morton WHEELER 
Cocos Island, owing to its isolated position some 300 miles 
off the west coast of Costa Rica, is of unusual interest in con- 
nection with the origin of the fauna and flora of the Galapagos 
Archipelago, a problem which, in turn, according to Scharff’, 
“presents the key to the solution of the most complex and in- 
tricate questions concerning the American fauna with which we 
are confronted.” While in charge of the Hopkins-Stanford 
Galapagos Expedition, Snodgrass and Heller® explored the 
island June 30 to July 3, 1899, and gave such an interesting 
and succinct account of its topography and biota that it seems 
4 Contribution from the Entomological Laboratory of the Bussey Institution, Har- 
vard University, No. 138. 
2 Scharff, R. Pit Distribution and Origin of Life in America. New York, Mac- 
millan Co., 1912 
8 Snodgrass, R. E., and Heller, E. The Birds of Clipperton and Cocos Islands. 
Papers from the Hopkins- Stanford saalapaeos Expedition. 1898-1899, XI. Proc. 
Wash. Acad. Sci. 4, 1902, pp. 501-520 
June 16, 1919 
