CHAPTER XII 



OCEANIC ISLANDS : — THE AZORES AND BERMUDA 



The Azores, or Western Islands 



Position and Physical Features — Chief Zoological Features of the Azores — 

 Birds — Origin of the Azorean Bird Fauna — Insects of the Azores — 

 Land-Shells of the Azores — The Flora of the Azores — The Dispersal of 

 Seeds — Birds as Seed-Carriers — Facilities for Dispersal of Azorean Plants 

 — Important Deduction from the Peculiarities of the Azorean Fauna 

 and Flora. 



Bermuda 



Position and Physical Features — The Red Clay of Bermuda — Zoology of 

 Bermuda — Birds of Bermuda — Comparison of the Bird Faunas of Ber- 

 muda and tlie Azores — Insects of Bermuda — Land Mollusca — Flora of 

 Bermuda — Concluding Remarks on the Azores and Bermuda. 



We will commence our investigation into the phenomena 

 presented by oceanic islands, with two groups of the North 

 Atlantic, in which the facts are of a comparatively simple 

 nature and such as to afford us a valuable clue to a solu- 

 tion of the more difficult problems we shall have to deal 

 with further on. The Azores and Bermuda offer great 

 contrasts in physical features, but striking similarities in 

 geographical position. The one is volcanic, the other coral- 

 line ; but both are surrounded by a wide expanse of ocean 

 of enormous depth, the one being about as far from Europe 

 as the other is from America. Both are situated in the 



