CHAPTER XII. 



OCEANIC ISLANDS: — THE AZORES AND BERMUDA. 



The Azores, or Western Islands. 

 Position and physical features — Chief zoological features of the Azores- 

 Birds — Origin of the Azorean bird fauna — Insects of the Azores— 

 Land-shells of the Azores — The flora of the Azores — The dispersal of 

 seeds — Birds as seed-carriers — Facilities for dispersal of Azorean plants 

 — Important deduction from the peculiarities of the Azorean fauna 

 and flora. 



Bermuda. 



Position and physical features — The Red Clay of Bermuda — Zoology of 

 Bermuda — Birds of Bermuda — Comparison of the bird faunas of Ber- 

 muda and the Azores — Insects of Bermuda — Land Mollusca — Flora of 

 Bermuda — Concluding remarks on the Azores and Bermuda. 



We will commence our investigation into the phenomena pre- 

 sented by oceanic islands, with two groups of the North 

 Atlantic, in which the facts are of a comparatively simple 

 nature, and such as to afford us a valuable clue to a solution of 

 the more difficult problems we shall have to deal with further on. 

 The Azores and Bermuda offer great contrasts in physical features, 

 but striking similarities in geographical position. The one is 

 volcanic, the other coralline ; but both are surrounded by a wide 

 expanse of ocean of enormous depth, the one being about as far 

 from Europe as the other is from America. Both are situated 

 in the temperate zone, and they differ less than six degrees in 

 latitude, yet the vegetation of the one is wholly temperate, 

 while that of the other is almost tropical. The productions of 

 the one are related to Europe, as those of the other are to 

 America, but they present instructive differences; and both 



