Fundaasntal to aay study of tli® orgaaio Ilf© of the Islands is 
a thorough und®pst:®Bdiag of the ©a'sdroaaeat in whioh it exists, the physieal 
suhstratua and the ataosphere surrounding the geology and aeteorology 
of the islands, and, in the oaso of tlie marine life, the ooeanography of 
the water about the Islands* A qualitative and qtantitative oonsus of th® 
existing animl populations would be att«apted and plans at least laid to 
restore as many of the Islends to their fomer natural eonditlon m possible 
by th© proteotioa of lite retaaiainf native fauna and flora and the elimina- 
tion of inladeal •tntrodooed rodents, earaivore®, and perhaps even herbivores 
on certain islands where th«^ say enter into serious ooapetltioa with the 
©ndeaio species. In this «).meotion, studies in plant, as well as animal, 
ecology would be undertaken* 
the datft accruing from the eovoral studies— meteorological, blo- 
ioglcal, geologioal, and ooeaaographio— aoatloned here and planned as 
future undertakings would b® made available to the Souadorian governiaeat, 
to winm they might prev® to be of some eoenomio value aside from their 
purely scientific worth, ; ■ 
In view of the foregoing; proposals and th® future benefits, 
soieatifi© &jid economic, it is believed that the govojRESioat of Bauador may 
be encouraged to extend its full and tmqualified coop-oration to. the pro- 
ject her® outlined and yield the necessary peraissioss and authorisations 
to the ailthsonlan Institution for the construction of th® lab-oratory and 
the conduct of scientific stu-dies on the Islands and la the adjacent wat-ers* 
la order that the proposed laboratory be best located with re- 
gard to central location, proper Imrbor and docki:^ facilities for siaall 
boats aad tl«t handlli^ of supplies, acoessiblllty to locally produced fresh 
food, vegetable and animal, it Is highly desirable that a thorough-going 
