106 READINGS IN EVOLUTION, GENETICS, AND EUGENICS 
conditions of the South American coast; in fact, there is a considerable 
dissimilarity in all these respects. On the other hand, there is a con- 
siderable degree of resemblance in the volcanic nature of the soil, in the 
climate, height, and size of the islands, between the Galapagos and Cape 
de Verde Archipelagoes; but what an entire and absolute difference 
in their inhabitants! The inhabitants of the Cape de Verde Islands 
are related to those of Africa, like those of the Galapagos to America. 
Facts such as these admit of no sort of explanation on the ordi- 
nary view of independent creation; whereas in the view here main- 
tained it is obvious that the Galapagos Islands would be likely to 
receive colonists from America, and the Cape de Verde Islands from 
Africa; such colonists would be liable to modification—the principle of 
inheritance still betraying their original birthplace.” 
The following is a synopsis of the fauna and flora of this archi- 
pelago, so far as at present known. The only terrestrial vertebrates 
are two peculiar species of land-tortoise, and one extinct species; five 
species of lizards, all peculiar—two of them so much so as to constitute 
a peculiar genus;—and two species of snakes, both closely allied to 
South American forms. Of birds there are 57 species, of which no less 
than 38 are peculiar; and all the non-peculiar species, except one, 
belong to aquatic tribes. The true land-birds are represented by 31 
species, of which all, except one, are peculiar; while more than half 
of them go to constitute peculiar genera. Moreover, while they are 
all unquestionably allied to South American forms, they present a 
beautiful series of gradations, ‘“‘from perfect identity with the conti- 
nental species, to genera so distinct that it is difficult to determine with 
what forms they are most nearly allied; and it is interesting to note 
that this diversity bears a distinct relation to the probabilities of, 
and facilities for, migration to the islands. The excessively abund- 
ant rice-bird, which breeds in Canada, and swarms over the whole 
United States, migrating to the West Indies and South America, 
visiting the distant Bermudas almost every year, and extending its 
range as far as Paraguay, is the only species of Jand-bird which remains 
completely unchanged in the Galapagos; and we may therefore con- 
clude that some stragglers of the migrating host reach the islands 
sufficiently often to keep up the purity of the breed” [Wallace]. 
Again, of the thirty peculiar land-birds, it is observable that the 
more they differ from any other species or genera on the South 
American continent, the more certainly are they found to have their 
nearest relations among those South American forms which have the 
