Vol. II, Pt. I] VAN DENBURGH— GALAPAGOS TORTOISES 229 



Islands July 25, 1897. Collections were made on Culpepper, 

 Wenman, Abingdon, Bindloe, Indefatigable, Duncan, Jervis, 

 James, Barrington, Chatham, Hood, Charles, southeastern 

 Albemarle, Tagus Cove, Narborough, and Tower islands. Set- 

 ting sail from Tower Island December 28, 1897, the return to 

 San Francisco was accomplished February 8, 1898. Tortoises 

 were secured only from southeastern Albemarle and from 

 Duncan islands. The following extracts from Mr. Drownc's 

 journal tell the difficulties overcome in collecting tortoises on 

 Duncan Island: 



"Sept. 5, 1897. After a long walk I arrived at the edge 

 of the crater at about 1 1 a. m. Harris was already inside. We 

 climbed down the side, I should say 250 feet, and reached the 

 bottom, which was level and covered all around with thick 

 bushes on the border. Grass, 2 feet high or more, covered 

 the entire centre. Geospiza, Certhidea, and Camarhynchus 

 were abundant, and occasionally Pyrocephalus and Myiarchus 

 were seen. Soon after reaching the bottom I heard Harris 

 calling out that he had caught a tortoise. Hull and myself 

 got there as soon as possible, and we tied the tortoise up. 

 The grass was full of tortoise trails, and we set out in search 

 of others. Harris found two more, and Hull and myself each 

 two. We turned them all over, and weighted them down with 

 heavy rocks. After fixing the last one, we revisited the first 

 and found it loose. This made it necessary to revisit the 

 others, which we did, finding that they had all got loose. We 

 weighted them down again with more and heavier rocks, and 

 returned to the starting-place. Some of the tortoises which 

 we found feeding were eating the blossoms from a creeping 

 vine, rising upon their forelegs and stretching their necks out 

 to full extent. The odor from them reminded me very much 

 of that from an elephant. After tramping about so much and 

 lifting so many heavy rocks, we were very tired, but had to 

 brace up and climb out of the crater, and walk to the shore 

 over a long distance of broken rock. The crater was quite 

 three-quarters of a mile in diameter, with a very flat bottom, 

 surrounded by a high wall or embankment, making it resemble 

 greatly pictures of the old Roman amphitheaters. Arrived on 

 board at 6 :30, very tired and very thirsty. 



