Stew art—Botanical Conditions pn the Galapagos Islands. 301 
'close to the open sea that its roots were covered with water at high 
tide. There are also dense thickets of Laguncularia racemosa 
in one or two places near the shore. In the sandy soil near the 
shore there are thickets of Cryptocarpus pyriformis, and Dis- 
caria pauciflora. 
The low areas in between the craters in the interior region, 
are usually covered with such a thick growth of bushes of Pro- 
sopis dulcis as to render traveling difficult. In such places 
Castela galapageia, Maytenus obovata, Parkinsonia aculeatat, 
Yallesia pubescens, and Waltheria reticulata forma intermedia 
are also found. In addition to these a considerable number 
of herbaceous plants occur among which are: Abutilon cris- 
pum, Aristida suspicata, Bidens refracta, Cyperus Mutisii, 
and Tetramerium hispidum. The sides of the craters are rather 
steep and support a more open vegetation than the valleys 
surrounding them. Plants which commonly occur on the sides 
of these craters are: Acacia macracantha, Chiococca alba, 
Scalesia affinis, and S. villosa. The interior of some of these 
craters were filled with a heavy growth of Parikinsonia acu- 
leata. No ferns or other distinctly mesophytic plants were 
found on this side of the island, to an elevation of 700 ft., as 
high as it was explored. * 
Chatham Island. 
Chatham is the most eastern island of the group. It is the 
fifth in size, being exceeded in this respect by Albemarle, Inde¬ 
fatigable, Narborough, and James Islands. It is twenty-three 
miles long and about ten miles broad, the greatest diameter of 
which extends northeast and southwest. Geologically the island 
is probably very old as there are few evidences of recent volcanic 
activity, except in the vicinity of Sappho Cove, on the west side 
of the island. 
The southern part of the island is most visited as there is a 
settlement located several miles inland, from which has a good 
wagon road leads down to Wreck Bay. This part of the island 
is rather flat for some distance inland, and is covered with a con¬ 
siderable amount of soil through which lava boulders project. 
There are several low lava hills on this part. The northeastern 
and eastern parts of the island were not visited, but a general 
survey of these was made from the vessel, and from higher parts 
