CHAPTER XIV. 



ST. HELENA. 



Position and physical features of St. Helena — Change eif ected b}' European 

 occupation — The Insects of St. Helena — Coleoptera — Peculiarities and 

 origin of the Coleoptera of St. Helena — Land-shells of St. Helena—- 

 Absence of Fresh-water organisms — Native vegetation of St. Helena — 

 The relations of the St. Helena Compositse — Concludiug Remarks on 

 St. Helena. 



In order to illustrate as completely as possible the peculiar 

 phenomena of oceanic islands, we will next examine the organic 

 productions of St. Helena and of the Sandwich Islands, since 

 these combine in a higher degree than any other spots upon the 

 globe, extreme isolation from all more extensive lands, with a 

 tolerably rich fauna and flora whose peculiarities are of surpass- 

 ing interest. Both, too, have received considerable attention 

 from naturalists ; and though much still remains to be done in 

 the latter group, our knowledge is sufficient to enable us to 

 arrive at many interesting results. 



Position and Physical features of St. Helena. — This island 

 is situated nearly in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, 

 being more than 1,100 miles from the coast of Africa, and 

 1,800 from South America. It is about ten miles long by eight 

 wide, and is wholly volcanic, consisting of ancient basalts, lavas, 

 and other volcanic products. It is very mountainous and rugged, 

 bounded for the most part by enormous precipices, and rising to 

 a height of 2,700 feet above the sea-level. An ancient crater, 

 about four miles across, is open on the south side, and its 



