218 The American Naturalist. [ March, 
probable that a few specimens still exist on some other islands on 
which they are now considered to be exterminated. All the 
islands, with the probable exception of Charles and Chatham, show 
with little doubt nearly the original condition. 
The Galapagos are situated on the equator, about 600 miles 
west from the coast of Ecuador, to which state they politically 
belong. They are placed between the 89th and g2d degree west 
of Greenwich, covering about three degrees of longitude, and 
extending on each side of the equator one-and-a-half degrees 
north and south. (The best map published is No. 1375 of the 
British Admiralty, based principally on the researches of Captain 
Fitzroy, of the historical “ Beagle.”) There are five principal 
islands, eleven smaller ones, and a great number of islets and 
rocks. The five principal ones are situated between the equator 
and the 1° south. They are Narborough, Albemarle, James» 
Indefatigable, Chatham. Of the eleven smaller islands three are 
in the same region, Jervis, Duncan, Barrington; three are between 
the 1° and 2° south, Brattle, Charles, Hood; and five north 
between the equator and the 2° north, Tower, Bindloe, Abing- 
don, Wenman, Culpepper. Hood is the most southern, 1° 27’ 
South; Culpepper the most northern and also the most western 
island, 1° 39’ north, 92° west; Chatham is the most eastern, 89° 
17’ west. Albemarle is by far the largest; it is the only one cut 
by the equator, and is about 140 km. long. Then follow Inde- 
fatigable, Narborough, James, Chatham, Charles, Bindloe, Abing- 
don, Barrington, Tower, Duncan, Jervis, Brattle; the last only 
about 134 km. long and 1 km. broad. As is well known, the 
_ whole group is volcanic. The highest mountain, on the south- 
west end of Albemarle, is 1570 m. high. The elevation of the other 
islands varies from 70 m. (Tower) to 1270 m. (Narborough). 
Albemarle, and especially Narborough, the most western island 
of the larger ones, have frequently been in a state of eruption. 
Delano speaks of one on Albemarle in 1 797 and 1800, Porter in 
_ 1813, and Morrell witnessed a most terrific outbreak on Narbor- 
ough in 1825. Fitzroy saw smoke on a southeastern volcano on 
e in 1835. Since that time these volcanoes seem to have 
been in a state of inactivity. Wolf, who visited the islands in 
