CHAPTEK 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 
