PART 11. CHAPTER XVIII. 



229 



Living Marine Saurian of the Galapagos Islands. 



formerly some saurians proper to salt, others to fresh water. 

 The recent discovery, however, of a maritime saurian, has now 

 rendered it unnecessary to speculate on such possibilities. This 

 creature was found in the Galapagos islands, during the visit of 

 H. M. S. Beagle to that archipelago, in 1835, and its habits were 

 then observed by Mr. Darwin. The islands alluded to are situ- 

 ated under the equator, nearly 600 miles to the westward of the 

 coast of South America. They are volcanic, some of them 

 being 3000 or 4000 feet high ; and one of them, Albemarle 

 Island, 75 miles long. The chmate is mild, very little rain falls ; 

 and, in the whole archipelago, there is only one rill of fresh 

 water that reaches the coast. The soil is for the most part dry 

 and harsh, and the vegetation scanty. The birds, reptiles, plants, 

 and insects are, with very few exceptions, of species found no- 

 where else in the world, although all partake, in their general 

 form, of an American character. Of the mammalia, says Mr. 

 Darwin, one species alone appears to be indigenous, namely, a 

 large and peculiar kind of mouse ; but the number of lizards, 

 tortoises, and snakes is so great that it may be called a land of 

 reptiles. The variety, indeed, of species is small ; but the indi- 

 viduals of each are in wonderful abundance. There is a turtle, 

 a large tortoise {Testudo Indicus), four lizards, and about the 

 same number of snakes, but no frogs or toads. Two of the 

 lizards belong to the family IguanidcB of Bell, and to a peculiar 

 genus (Amblyrhynchus) established by that naturalist ; and so 



Fig. 229. 



AmUyrhynchus cristatus, BelL Length varying from 3 to 4 ft. The only 

 existing marine lizard now known. 



a Tooth of same of natural size, and magnified. 



named from their obtusely truncated head and short snout.* Of 

 these lizards, one is terrestrial in its habits, and burrows in the 



* a(xS\vi, ambiys, blunt, and pvyxos, rhynchus, snout. 



F 



