474 



GALAPAGOS ARCHIPELAGO. Oct. 1835. 



seems to be a wanderer from the continent. Of shells^ 

 there are a considerable number of land kinds^ all of which^ 

 I believe are confined to this archipelago. Even of marine 

 specieSj a large proportion were not known^ before the col- 

 lection made by Mr. Cuming on these islands was brought 

 to England. 



I will not here attempt to come to any definite conclu- 

 sions, as the species have not been accurately examined; 

 but we may infer, that, with the exception of a few wanderers, 

 the organic beings found on this archipelago are peculiar to 

 it ; and yet that their general form strongly partakes of an 

 American character. It would be impossible for any one 

 accustomed to the birds of Chile and La Plata to be placed 

 on these islands, and not to feel convinced that he was, 

 as far as the organic world was concerned, on American 

 ground. This similarity in type, between distant islands 

 and continents, while the species are distinct, has scarcely 

 been sufficiently noticed. The circumstance would be ex- 

 plained, according to the views of some authors, by saying 

 that the creative power had acted according to the same 

 law over a wide area. 



It has been mentioned, that the inhabitants can distin- 

 guish the tortoises, according to the islands whence they are 

 brought. I was also informed that many of the islands 

 possess trees and plants which do not occur on the others. 

 For instance the berry-bearing tree, called Guyavita, which 

 is common on James Island, certainly is not found on Charles 

 Island, though appearing equally well fitted for it. Unfortu- 

 nately, I was not aware of these facts till my collection was 

 nearly completed : it never occurred to me, that the produc- 

 tions of islands only a few miles apart, and placed under the 

 same physical conditions, would be dissimilar. I therefore 

 did not attempt to make a series of specimens from the 

 separate islands. It is the fate of every voyager, when he 

 has just discovered what object in any place is more par- 

 ticularly worthy of his attention, to be hurried from it. 

 In the case of the mocking-bird, I ascertained (and have 



