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THE WONDERS OF GEOLOGY. Vol. 



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the name to the genus from the shortness of the snout : indeed the 

 form of the mouth may almost be compared to that of the tortoise : an 

 adaptation probably referable to their herbivorous appetites. It is 

 very interesting thus to find a well-characterized genus, having its 

 marine and terrestrial species, belonging to so confined a portion of 

 the world. The aquatic species is by far the most extraordinary, 

 because it is the only existing lizard which lives on marine vegetable 

 productions. These islands are not so remarkable for the number of 

 the species of reptiles, as for that of the individuals. When we 

 remember the well- beaten paths made by the thousands of huge 

 tortoises — the many turtles—the great warrens of the terrestrial 

 Amblyrhynchi — and the groups of the marine species basking on the 

 coast-rocks of every island in this archipelago — we must admit that 

 there is no other quarter of the world where the Order of Reptiles 

 replaces the herbivorous mammalia in so extraordinary a manner. 

 The geologist, on hearing this, will probably refer back his mind to 

 the Secondary epochs, when saurians, some herbivorous, some car- 

 nivorous, and of dimensions comparable only with our existing whales, 

 swarmed on the lands and in the seas. It is, therefore, worthy his 

 especial observation, that this archipelago, instead of possessing a 

 humid climate and rank vegetation, cannot be considered otherwise 

 than extremely arid, and, for an equatorial climate, remarkably tem- 

 perate. The botany is as peculiar as the zoology. Of flowering 

 plants, 185 species were collected, of which 1 00 are new ; that is, pre- 

 viously unknown to the botanist : and 40 cryptogamic species.'* 

 Notwithstanding the length of this extract, the reader should refer to 

 the original for many highly interesting particulars, and sagacious 

 comments, which are here necessarily omitted. — Mr. Darwin's Journal 

 of a Voyage Round the World, chap. xvii. 



