Galapagos Islands  Source  Whalesite

      Between five and six hundred nautical miles west of the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific lies the archipelago of the Galápagos Islands, cut by the equator. It offers the rare example of a large archipelago with a wonderful climate, which was found uninhabited when it was discovered by the Spaniards in the sixteenth century, and which to this day only serves people for a temporary stay because of the small colonization projects all failed.

      The old Spanish colonial government cared very little about these islands, which were only occasionally visited by whale fishers and seal hunters and sometimes served as hiding places for pirates. When they later fell to the Republic of Ecuador, very little changed in these circumstances. The only serious attempt at colonization was made by General Villamil in 1831 on Floreana, or Charles Island, and Darwin found five years later (Sept.

1836) a village with two to three hundred inhabitants; But there has long been no trace of this colony, and its rapid decline is particularly attributed to the fact that Ecuador made the Galápagos Islands a criminal colony and a place of exile, which soon made the existence of honest people an impossibility. Floreana became the showplace of the greatest crimes and innumerable acts of murder; the remainder of the band of robbers that had been added partly wiped itself off, and partly escaped on the mooring ships of the whale fishers. Since then the islands have only been the subject of temporary speculations, such as B. presently the exploitation of the orchilla (1).

      Under such circumstances it is understandable that until recently little reliable was known about the physical condition, animal and plant world of the Galápagos Islands (2). Only after Darwin, the most astute nature-observer of our time, visited it on his travels with the Beagle, and made it known as a very peculiar island world, have they been mentioned frequently among naturalists, and have attracted the attention of geologists, botanists, and zoologists in equal measure himself. Who is not interested in reading Darwin's descriptions of those volcanic islets, on which thousands of partly still lit fire gullies are crowded together in a small space, of the remarkable animal and plant species, which otherwise cannot be found anywhere on earth, and where

do the peculiar reptiles especially remind us of the prehistoric times of geology? (1) - Nobody will be surprised that since my arrival in Ecuador I wished to see these islands, which were now closer to me than thousands of my peers. Several years ago, during my stay in Quito, the government of the republic had the plan to equip a small scientific expedition to the archipelago, in which I was to take part as a geologist, but the project failed because of all sorts of difficulties, and it was only when I was free Position in Guaya quil I found the opportunity to fulfill my wish.

      For a number of years it has been possible to come regularly every two to three months from the port of Guayaquil to the islands, since then Mr. Valdisan of Santa Elena has been collecting the orchilla with fifty to sixty workers and has his own ship under the leadership of Captain Petersen to transport it Flensburg. Although such an occasional trip, on which one cannot follow one's own plan, gave no hope for any significant scientific results, I nevertheless believed that I could use my free time well with it, and I am especially grateful to the kind courtesy of Captain Petersen and the with the willing assistance of Mr. Valdisan, that I saw more of those islands than I had hoped. If I now share a few notes from my travel diary, this is particularly the case, to meet the request of some friends. There are fragmentary observations, and they make no claim to

turbo description of the islands provide zit; only when I should be able to visit the northern half of the archipelago on a second trip and complete my natural history collections, would I perhaps decide to do a more comprehensive work on the Galápagos Islands.

      that the warmth of the same decreased more and more the closer we got to the open sea, i.e. the more the river water mixed with the sea water. At Guayaquil the current is 27 ° C. (this is the mean temperature of the water in Guayaquil all year round); ten nautical miles further down, at the river island Mondragon, 25 ° C., five miles further, opposite the village Puná, 24 ° C., and at the Punta arena, near the southern spit of the large island Puná, on our last Anchoring places, 23 ° C. At a lesterem place we were already in almost pure sea water, in the wide Gulf of Guayaquil; a fresh sea breeze made it possible to use the sails (this is the mean temperature of water in Guayaquil all year round); ten nautical miles further down, at the river island Mondragon, 25 ° C., five miles further, opposite the village Puná, 24 ° C., and at the Punta arena, near the southern spit of the large island Puná, on our last Anchoring places, 23 ° C. At a lesterem place we were already in almost pure sea water, in the wide Gulf of Guayaquil; a fresh sea breeze made it possible to use the sails (this is the mean temperature of water in Guayaquil all year round); ten nautical miles further down, at the river island Mondragon, 25 ° C., five miles further, opposite the village Puná, 24 ° C., and at the Punta arena, near the southern spit of the large island Puná, on our last Anchoring places, 23 ° C. At a lesterem place we were already in almost pure sea water, in the wide Gulf of Guayaquil; a fresh sea breeze made it possible to use the sails in the wide Gulf of Guayaquil; a fresh sea breeze made it possible to use the sails in the wide Gulf of Guayaquil; a fresh sea breeze made it possible to use the sails

and at the same time felt the air down to 22-24 degrees. If you have lived in a constant heat of 28 to 30 degrees for several months, the skin becomes so sensitive that nights with 21 to 22 degrees seem really cold.

      3rd August. After we hoisted the anchor for the last time at 7 a.m., we cruised along the coast to the southwest down to the Bay of Tumbes, in order to then sail the easier and faster to the Punta de Santa Elena to the northwest with a more favorable wind. Seafaring is always most entertaining near the coast, because there one gets to see many more animals than on the wide ocean outside. The many seabirds, which either glide at lightning speed over the surface of the water and pick up their food from the crest of the waves, like the dainty terns, or circle high in the air and then suddenly plunge vertically like a stone into the sea to catch a fish, like the pelicans and frigate birds, provide entertainment. The sea was covered in places with jellyfish and bell jellyfish, some of which are a foot in diameter. You do not have to observe these animals on dry land, where they are only a lump of gelatin, nor in the bleached and shriveled alcohol preparations in museums, but in their crystalline life element, in the tropical ocean, in order to understand what charm their splendor and color lend delicate filamentous organs to the sea when they float in large flocks. The funny dolphins, which are called pig-fish, here in this country bufeos (fun-makers) and which are 5 to 6 feet long, appeared en masse. They rarely show up individually, almost always in rescues of 15 to 20 pieces, often pursued by a huge shark, their greatest enemy. One swims where they only represent a lump of gelatin, still in the bleached and shriveled alcohol preparations of the museums, but in their crystalline life element, in the tropical ocean, in order to understand what charm their splendor of colors and delicate thread organs give the sea when they are float away in great flocks. The funny dolphins, which are called pig-fish, here in this country bufeos (fun-makers) and which are 5 to 6 feet long, appeared en masse. They rarely show up individually, almost always in rescues of 15 to 20 pieces, often pursued by a huge shark, their greatest enemy. One swims where they only represent a lump of gelatin, still in the bleached and shriveled alcohol preparations of the museums, but in their crystalline life element, in the tropical ocean, in order to understand what charm their splendor of colors and delicate thread organs give the sea when they are float away in great flocks. The funny dolphins, which are called pig-fish, here in this country bufeos (fun-makers) and which are 5 to 6 feet long, appeared en masse. They rarely show up individually, almost always in rescues of 15 to 20 pieces, often pursued by a huge shark, their greatest enemy. One swims what charm their splendor of colors and delicate thread organs lend to the sea when they float in large flocks. The funny dolphins, which are called pig-fish, here in this country bufeos (fun-makers) and which are 5 to 6 feet long, appeared en masse. They rarely show up individually, almost always in rescues of 15 to 20 pieces, often pursued by a huge shark, their greatest enemy. One swims what charm their splendor of colors and delicate thread organs lend to the sea when they float in large flocks. The funny dolphins, which are called pig-fish, here in this country bufeos (fun-makers) and which are 5 to 6 feet long, appeared en masse. They rarely show up individually, almost always in rescues of 15 to 20 pieces, often pursued by a huge shark, their greatest enemy. One swims

exactly behind the other, and if one of them leaps out of the water, whatever happens at any moment - all those who follow do the same in the same place. For hours these fish-like mammals swim hard by the side of the ship, and even better just in front of the ship's beak, where they can often be very funny, make the funniest jumps and be easily harpooned. What is it that binds these animals so much to the ships? Probably not the food, for otherwise they would rather follow it, like the sharks, than swim to the side or even ahead. Is it perhaps the sheen of the copper fittings that attracts them, or just the desire to frolic in the turbulent swirl of waves.

      4th of August. We had sailed well through the night and had covered about 50 nautical miles, so that early in the morning we had Punta de Santa Elena in sight. Around 8 o'clock we observed two large whale fish very close to the ship for a long time, they chased each other teasingly and playing, did huge somersaults and from time to time sprinkled magnificent jets of water into the air like fountains. These giants of the sea stay near the coasts, especially in certain months of the year when they have young, and then whale fishing is as profitable here as in the far north. An even better area for this is the sea around the Galápagos Islands. But what drew my attention even more today was the large number of water snakes around the headland of Santa Elena.

      Although they sometimes showed up very close to the side of the ship, I unfortunately couldn't fish one out and so I don't know which species they belong to, nor whether they are poisonous (1). Captain Petersen chased me that he had only observed them in this area at any time of the year. - Around noon we turned around the Punta, drove east and anchored at 3 o'clock in the bay of Santa Elena. The Venecia docks here on every trip to give the families of orchilla collectors, almost all of whom are from the canton of Santa Elena, the opportunity to send their letters, food, clothes etc. to the islands. Well over two hundred people, mostly women, gather on this occasion at Landungsplas Ballenita, all of which individually request verbal information from the captain about their own people and have so many orders and orders to hand with them - very few can write - that the captain would have to have an exceptional memory if he could only keep a fourth part of it. Since the stay lasted more than a day, I went up to the town of Santa Elena, half an hour away, and spent the time with some old acquaintances and friends. I have described the peculiar character of the area of ??Santa Elena, its petroleum-containing soil and its salt flats in an earlier travel description and I do not add anything further here. On August 5th, at 8 o'clock in the evening, we embarked again and prepared for departure.

      6th of August. Already at 5 o'clock the anchor was raised and now, after we passed the western point again,

out onto the vast ocean. Santa Elena is two degrees further south than the Galápagos Islands, so this one to WNW .; but during the crossing the ship does not stop in this direction, but against W. and even often against SW., because of the strong ocean current, which initially along the coast from S. to N. and later from SE. to NW. runs and drives the ship to more northern latitudes by itself. In the afternoon the coasts of Ecuador disappeared, in the capital of which one of those terrible dramas took place that day which too often shakes the South American republics. President Garcia Moreno was murdered by a small number of conspirators on the main plaza in Quito at broad midday when he was walking to the government palace.

      August 7th. At noon we were under 1 ° 10 'south latitude and 82 ° 46' west latitude of Greenwich, 110 English. Miles from the coast, and yet some sea-birds still showed up, but quickly disappeared; only three small terns (Sterna) accompanied our ship as far as the islands, they picked up the kitchen rubbish that was thrown overboard and rested here and there on the sail poles. - I regularly observed the temperature of the sea water every few hours. From the island of Punà in the Gulf of Guayaquil the thermometer showed a constant 23 ° C with an air temperature which fluctuated between 21 and 24 ° C. But today at 12 o'clock the heat of the water rose to 24 and in the evening at 9 o'clock to 25 degrees.

      August 8th The temperature was 6 o'clock in the morning

Sea 26 ° and stayed at this level until we approached the islands. The wind was strong and favorable, so that by 12 o'clock we were already below 85 ° 16 'west latitude and 0 ° 54' south latitude. The flying fish of the genus Exocetus were extremely common and rose in droves from the sea.

      August 9. We always drove with the same strong winds, covering almost 9 nautical miles an hour, but the weather was unfriendly and the sky was overcast. The first sea bird that came towards us from the islands was a huge albatross, and gradually others appeared. The temperature of the sea fell to 25, towards evening to 24 degrees. It was not possible to observe the sun today, which was all the more unfortunate as we soon found ourselves in the meridian of the easternmost islands. Seafarers who are less familiar with the currents of these waters than Captain Petersen have often passed the islands, and a few years ago a captain returned to Guayaquil with nothing to do, after having spent a month there had searched in vain. Fortunately, just before night fell, a sailor from the masthead reported land in a northwesterly direction. The captain climbed up himself and immediately recognized the Pan de azucar (Sugar Loaf), a mountain of cones on the northeastern spit of the island of Chatham. The orchilla gatherers' camp must be in that area at present, and we wanted to drive there first. There is no good anchorage on the east side of Chatham, and since the sea was very agitated, the captain decided to rejoice on the coast for the night. Around midnight alone, a real storm arose, forcing us to close the coast The orchilla gatherers' camp must be in that area at present, and we wanted to drive there first. There is no good anchorage on the east side of Chatham, and since the sea was very agitated, the captain decided to rejoice on the coast for the night. Around midnight alone, a real storm arose, forcing us to close the coast The orchilla gatherers' camp must be in that area at present, and we wanted to drive there first. There is no good anchorage on the east side of Chatham, and since the sea was very agitated, the captain decided to rejoice on the coast for the night. Around midnight alone, a real storm arose, forcing us to close the coast

avoid and drive back into the open sea to avoid the danger of failure.

      August 10. In the morning we were far south of Chatham and soon got the island of Hood in sight. Mr. Petersen assured me that he had not seen a night like this in this sea in 10 years and that this storm was a very extraordinary event; for in no other part is this ocean more rightly called the Pacific or Quiet, hence one dared to drive from Guayaquil to the islands in very small sloops. The only thing one usually has to fear is the very strong currents of the sea. - In the course of the morning the storm wind gradually subsided, but the sea was still high, and only with a lot of loss of time and great difficulty could we have got to the north spiss of Chatham, so we sailed directly to Floreana (Charles Island), in which direction the wind favored us. I regretted going so close to Hood without being able to step onto the island; but from what I heard about her and what I saw from a distance, she might be the least interesting of all. It has an oval shape, the largest diameter of which is only 8 nautical miles. In the whole circumference (the ground swells evenly towards the center and forms a flat arch there. The elevation is only 640 feet or 195 meters according to the English nautical charts With a good telescope I distinguished the grayish, almost leafless vegetation, which sparsely covered the brown lava soil, as I would later see on all the islands in the

found below region. As a zoological peculiarity I add that the albatross inhabits this island, and only this island, in such abundance that the whole camp of the Orchilla-Sanimler (over 60 men) lived mainly on its eggs for a month, although each female only had one egg lays. It is probably the widespread albatross from the aap of good hope (Diomedea exulans), which is also very common around rap horn. - Hood cannot be cultivated; all the people who were there vividly described the terrible roughness of the lava fields which cover the whole island; In addition, there is not a drop of fresh water there, because that which falls in the rainy season cannot collect anywhere and immediately seeps into the porous layers of lava. This island does not reach into the humid high altitude region, in which in this whole archipelago the lava decomposes and in combination with a lush vegetation forms fertile dam soil. In these circumstances Hood agrees with Barrington, whom I got to know better. - The thermometer sank in the sea water in the morning to 234/2 degrees and near Hood to 23 degrees, which it now constantly kept on all my trips back and forth between the islands. I will add at once that I made exactly the same observations on the drive back to Guayaquil in November. They show that in the Galápagos Archipelago the sea temperature of 23 ° C, which is quite low for the tropical zone, prevails as on the coasts of Guayaquil, and that these waters are warmer by a sea current that is 3 ° C warmer from southeast to northwest are separated; further,

It's 40 nautical miles from Hood to Floreana. Already at noon we were close to Gardner Island, one of the small islets which are to the east of the main island and which are very characteristic crater pits emerging from the sea. Gardner Island is the most important of these, at 760 feet high, but the lower Caldwell Island shows the crater shape most clearly. Floreana herself only stepped incompletely from time to time when we were close. When we entered the Post Office Bay around its northern tip, the sea became as calm as a small land lake, which I noticed all the more pleasant after the stormy hours of 24 hours. Apparently this is the best port and landing place on the island and one of the most beautiful in the whole archipelago, but it is rarely used, because it is too far away from the living quarters. We drove through and (with a headwind) to the west side to Black-beach-Road, or the roadstead of Playa prieta, which means the same thing in Spanish, where the usual anchorage is. - From now on I will soon use the Spanish, now the English place names, depending on whether this or that is more in use. So you know z. For example, the Charles Island in this country only under the older name of Floreana, James Island under that of Santiago, while in other cases the Spaniards complied with the names introduced by the English seafarers; also some of the latter are mere translations of the older Spanish, in which case these deserve preference. or the roadstead at Playa prieta, which means the same thing in Spanish as where the usual anchorage is. - From now on I will soon use the Spanish, now the English place names, depending on whether this or that is more in use. So you know z. For example, the Charles Island in this country only under the older name of Floreana, James Island under that of Santiago, while in other cases the Spaniards complied with the names introduced by the English seafarers; also some of the latter are mere translations of the older Spanish, in which case these deserve preference. or the roadstead of Playa prieta, which means the same thing in Spanish as where the usual anchorage is. - From now on I will soon use the Spanish, now the English place names, depending on whether one or the other is more in use. So you know z. For example, the Charles Island in this country only under the older name of Floreana, James Island under that of Santiago, while in other cases the Spaniards complied with the names introduced by the English seafarers; also some of the latter are mere translations of the older Spanish, in which case these deserve preference. Charles Island in this country only under the older name of Floreana, James Island under that of Santiago, while in other cases the Spaniards complied with the names introduced by the English sailors; also some of the latter are mere translations of the older Spanish, in which case these deserve preference. Charles Island in this country only under the older name of Floreana, James Island under that of Santiago, while in other cases the Spaniards complied with the names introduced by the English sailors; also some of the latter are mere translations of the older Spanish, in which case these deserve preference.

      At 6 o'clock in the evening the Venecia was anchored a few meters from the shore, and I was able to look at a very peculiar landscape illuminated by the rays of the setting sun. If you can do that quickly

from the wonderful tropical vegetation of Guayaquil to these islands, one first ponders whether one is really under the equator and not rather in a northern region. I knew civilly well that I would not see a lovely Tahiti, but I would have imagined the sight of the Galápagos Islands to be a little more pleasant. The first impression one receives is sad, melancholy and almost depressing. Between the sparse whitish-gray scrub the black-brown lava ground shines through everywhere, so that the whole landscape appears uniformly gray-brown; only the highest mountain peaks shimmer in a faint green. A dead silence reigns in all of nature. I comforted myself with the thought that first impressions are often deceptive, and that these islands offer a great field for scientific observation.

      Since it was already late, we stopped going ashore and slept on board.

      11-15 August. Floreana is the island on which Villamil once founded a fine colony and a small village that has long since disappeared. Mr. Valdisan has built a comfortable house 1/2 hour inland from Playa prieta and next to it there is still a poor hut, which is only inhabited from time to time. This place is 133 meters above sea level. An hour farther in the interior, in the higher part of the island, the same gentleman founded a small hacienda on the site of the old village, which is cultivated by four to five workers and the wandering orchilla company with bananas, potatoes, potatoes, and a few other vegetables and fruits. At the time of my presence there were 14 to 18 people (including women and children) living on the island. - early in the morning

I disembarked and went up to the houses with Captain Petersen, where we received a friendly welcome from Mrs. Valdisan - he was at Chatham himself.

      A look at the overview map shows that the main mass, namely the five largest of the Galápagos Islands, Albemarle, Narborough, Fames, Indefatigable and Chatham, lie between the equator and the first degree south latitude. Only the three small islands of Abington, Bindloe and Tower fall across the line (two very insignificant rocky islets, Culpepper and Wenman Islands, are 80 nautical miles northwest of Abington and are no longer visible on the map), and the not much larger islands of Hood and Floreana south lid from the first degree. Usually the number of the Galápagos Islands is given as thirteen, including Barrington, Duncan and Jervis as well as the ones mentioned, but the innumerable small islets and rocks that surround the main islands, and by far not all of them are shown on the map are, disregarded lasts. On my journey I was only able to get to know the southern half of the archipelago, namely the islands of Floreana, Chatham, Barrington, Indefatigable and the southern part of Albemarle, which I should have noted in particular, so that my following observations and descriptions are not too hasty apply the whole archipelago, although from what I have learned from reliable persons, especially Captain Petersen, and what we know from previous travelers, it is probable that most of it also applies to the northern half; yes, it seems to be even poorer in organisms, that which I especially want to have noted, so that my following observations and descriptions will not be applied too hastily to the whole archipelago, although it is probable from what I have learned from reliable persons, especially Captain Petersen, and from what we know from previous travelers that most of it also applies to the northern half; yes, it seems to be even poorer in organisms, that which I especially want to have noted, so that my following observations and descriptions will not be applied too hastily to the whole archipelago, although it is probable from what I have learned from reliable persons, especially Captain Petersen, and from what we know from previous travelers that most of it also applies to the northern half; yes, it seems to be even poorer in organisms, that

against the geological (volcanic) phenomena of the same shape, perhaps more pronounced.

      The Galápagos Archipelago provides one of the most beautiful examples of a purely volcanic archipelago. The islands were not created by the destruction of an extensive country (much less by detachment from the South American mainland), nor by the uplifting of the old sea bed, but simply by the gradual accumulation of volcanic ejecta, by volcanic eruptions, which first took place under the sea and later overseas. Nowhere is a trace of an older, upscale basement to be found, nowhere to find evidence of major subsidence or uplift, except for small local phenomena on individual volcanoes, which can also be traced back to small local causes. The sea canals that separate the islands are immensely deep almost everywhere. On most of the islands you can clearly see how they enlarged from a central point (usually a main crater) by lava outpouring, and expanded their circumference in all directions, especially in one direction, while they increased in height at the same time. Over time, many side and side fraters formed. This simple relationship shows particularly well indefatigable and the horribly desolate Nar borough, which I only saw from a distance, from the mountains on Albemarle, and which has a central crater of enormous size that has not yet been extinguished. In other cases two neighboring islands formed in the above-mentioned manner have united into a single one, which then assumed an elongated shape. This was certainly the case with Albe marle and Chatham, in both of which the northern half is separated from the southern half by a low, flat isthmus

and I suspect that the northern half of Albe marle was in turn formed by three original islands, each with a colossal central crater, although a continuous mountain range connects the main craters. If one looks at this range alone, one might be inclined to speak of series volcanoes. On other islands, too, especially on Chatham, James and South Albemarle, the main peaks show a linear position, but the lines do not follow the same direction, they intersect differently in their extension and, moreover, are relatively short, so that one at least looks at the whole the Galápagos Islands are better counted among the group volcanoes.

      Geologically speaking, this whole island world is of a young age, and its formation certainly does not extend beyond the Tertiary period; indeed, some parts are evidently still much younger, and their formation falls in the recent period. This must be of particular interest to the botanist and zoologist, since so many endemic plant and animal forms have formed in this young archipelago in a comparatively short time, apparently from older generations that immigrated from the South American mainland.

      This volcanic formation is closely related to the much larger one which, at the same latitude, but 12 degrees more east, forms the highlands of Quito; both are quite different from a petrographic point of view, the lesser one consists of trachytic and andesitic material, while the Galápagos Islands are composed entirely of basaltic rocks.

      On the same day of my arrival on Floreana, I started my excursions and my collections. I have been to this island four times, but here I will put it all together

grasp what I have to say about it. Although Floreana is only two geographical miles in diameter, it still takes many days to get to know it to some extent, because there is actually only one way, namely the one from the landing stage up to the hacienda, and there is no way to get to any other place trying to come, which is very difficult especially in the lower, arid part of the island, so that one often covers a few hundred meters in an hour, the vegetation, crippled undergrowth, forming the slightest obstacle; the main difficulty lies in the choppy, fissured, terribly rough lava soil, which on the surface consists only of large, sharp-edged stone blocks.

      Of the small islands, Floreana has the most varied relief forms and differs in the significant number of fairly high, closely spaced ruled mountains, which, when viewed from a distance, gives it a picturesque character. Its outline is almost round, but receives the = still quite a lot of alternation through various cuts and bays of the sea, which are caused by protruding lava flows and cinder mountains. The card shows this better than a long description. As with Hood and almost all the other islands, the ground rises gradually from the shore towards the interior and there forms a flat vault or a high plateau, which is 800 to 900 feet high, but is very uneven and covered with cones which have an absolute elevation of 14 to 1700 feet; Yes, the Cerro de paja, the highest point on the island, which you leave on the right hand side on the way from Playa prieta to the hacienda, rises almost 2000 feet. If we think of the cinder piles of the lower region the

count those who are at least 200 feet relative height. skied over their immediate vicinity, their number is 24 to 25 (over an area of ??4 miles!). In addition there are three islets, isolated from the sea on towering mountains: Gardner Island (7604), Caldwell Island (210 ”), and Enderby Island (330). These three, together with the wall-shaped Watson rock pierced by a gate, and a ring wall on the northern spice of the main island, are the only remnants of an ancient volcanic tuff formation around Floreana, of which I shall speak more later; everything else consists of black-brown slaggy lava of the younger formation. - You can see the whole island with a single view from the Cerro de paja, where you can enjoy a magnificent view in good weather. From each of the Galápagos Islands you can still see some neighboring islands. On Floreana one can clearly see South Albemarle, with the Brattle and Crossman Islands, as well as Indefatigable, Barrington and, in very bright weather, the mountains of Chatham.

      The climate is moderate, even cooler than one would expect given the geographical location, almost under the equator, and very healthy. To be sure, at certain hours of the day and when there is no wind, the hoist on the black, bare lava fields is suffocating, but the sea breeze usually feels the air considerably. In the house of Mr. Valdisan, which only 436 English. Feet above Playa prieta, the thermometer fluctuated between 19 and 21 ° C. and in the hacienda on the high plateau, at an altitude of barely 900 feet, the mean temperature is 18 to 19 ° C. As I noted earlier, the islands are lapped by a sea with a temperature of 23 ° C. The rainy season falls from February to June, but is very irregular,

usually very brief, and often absent for a year or two. In the higher part of the island (over 800 feet), moreover, rain falls frequently all year round, but each time very little rain. During my presence (August to October) the so-called garruas, that is, fine dust rains, were quite strong and repeated here and there five or six times in a day, but each time they lasted barely half an hour. They were limited to the high plateau and only reached here and there as far as Valdisan's house, where 5 minutes of sunshine was enough to make their trail disappear. The whole broad lower zone up to a height of 400-500 feet is almost rainless and has to be content with the water of a few winter rains, which run very quickly in the porous, cracked lava or evaporate on the surface. Under these conditions the two seasons are not so noticeable in the vegetation as in other tropical regions (e.g. in the plains of Guayaquil); the upper region always remains green, the lower almost equally arid and barren even in winter. - In the south-eastern part of the island, on the side of the prevailing sea winds (the southern trade winds), the humid region extends almost 200 feet further down towards the sea than on the north-western side, and this is also observed in the other islands.

      The vegetation conditions are closely connected with the uneven distribution of moisture. Let us take a botanical walk from the bank up to the hacienda to illustrate this. Various salt-loving plants grow directly on the beach, partly herbs (especially Chenopodiacea), partly thorny bushes with fleshy, juicy leaves; in some bays have

even mangle bushes mixed with avicenia settled here. All these beach and salt plants seem to me to have migrated from the coast of the mainland, and perhaps not a single species of them is peculiar to the islands or is endemic, while this is the case with most of the other flowers. planting is the case. - We are now going up very gradually to Valdisan's house, whichever route is taken in 20 minutes or half an hour. Right and left, and as far as the eye can see, everything is covered with grayish white bushes that seem to have been pre-set. But if you look right, you will find that the bushes are in leaves and many of them are in flowers, that this wintry appearance is part of their character and is a comfort to the dry soil and the arid climate, in which they cannot be wasteful with leaves. The most common and predominant shrub here is a Lantana (Verbenacee) with small whitish-violet flower umbels; this is mixed up with two species of Croton, from the family of the Euphorbiaceen. From this bush, which is usually 5 to 6, rarely 10 feet high, rise sporadically thorny algoroba: trees (Acacia kind) about 20 feet high and sporadically the "Palo santo", of which I have no flowers and fruits and only saw few specimens of leaves. Legterer is, I believe, a Terebinthacee and agrees generically and perhaps even specifically with the tree of the same name from the province of Guayaquil. In the tightest installation, its bark exudes a resinous juice that smells strongly of turpentine.

Growth. Where the roughness of the lava fields and lava walls do not allow any other plant to settle, the "tunas" and "espinos", ie a tree-like opuntia and a colossal cereus (column cactus), are particularly strong. Legterer seeks out even rougher spots than the former, and usually indulges in the jagged lava edges of the eruption craters and the dammed up cinder mounds. It is hard to understand where the roots, wedged between the glassy, ??uncorrupted lava blocks, get their nourishment from. The Opuntia Galapageia and the aforementioned Cereus (they are found on all the islands) give the landscape a very peculiar, I would like to say grotesque, character that harmonizes excellently with the black, chapped lava rocks and the giant tortoises and iguanas crawling about on them. The Opuntia possesses large, oval, compressed limbs, which in young specimens are possessed by terrible, 3-inch-long spines. After a few years, however, these limbs are rounded off, and a slender, cylindrical main trunk is formed from them, on which the constrictions also disappear. The trunks are easily two feet thick and over twenty feet high, are reddish-brown in color, and look like the trunks of the red fir from a distance. They lose their spines prematurely and shed themselves while in paper-thin leaves (like the birch), of which 15 or 20 loose layers are counted. The older branches are transformed in exactly the same way. The stalk limbs of old plants have more fine, stiff spines, but are completely covered with tufts of soft bristle hairs, like a brush, so that they can be can touch without stinging(1). The

Pillar factories provided with fanciful stems also round off its main trunk, branches like candelabra and becomes just as high as the Opuntia. Its reddish two-inch-long fruits not only attract the birds, but were also often an easterly refreshment for me in the midday hiss when there was not a drop of water to be had for miles around. They are very juicy and have a pleasantly sour taste. The fruits of the Opuntia are inedible, but if you are thirsty you can also help yourself with the juicy flesh of the young stalk limbs, which, however, tastes a bit bland. - With the plants listed, I have named the character plants of the region below. There and | again one notices withered tufts of grass and Cyperaceae between the rock, some fraut-like Euphorbiaceen and dried up stems of annual plants from the families of the labiates and composites. If Darwin only brought together 10 species of plants in this region (on Chatham), he must have gathered in a very desolate place; I estimate the number of phanerogams of these in 50 to 60 species, of which, of course, not all occur on all islands, most of them on Albemarle. Of cryptogams I noticed only a few stone and tree lichens; the most important of these is the orchilla or orseille lichen, which appears to be restricted to the 0 to 300 foot zone. I estimate the number of phanerogams of these in 50 to 60 species, of which, of course, not all occur on all islands, most of them on Albemarle. Of cryptogams I noticed only a few stone and tree lichens; the most important of these is the orchilla or orseille lichen, which appears to be restricted to the 0 to 300 foot zone. I estimate the number of phanerogams of these in 50 to 60 species, of which, of course, not all occur on all islands, most of them on Albemarle. Of cryptogams I noticed only a few stone and tree lichens; the most important of these is the orchilla or orseille lichen, which appears to be restricted to the 0 to 300 foot zone.

      Next to Valdisan's house, in a ravine that runs down from the Cerro de paja, is a small spring, the only one on the island at such a low altitude, but it dries up again in the same place between the clefts

the lava. Three or four holes have been carved out in the rock and these are filled all year round with rich, wonderful water, which has a temperature of 18 ° C, i.e. at least it comes down from the higher mountains in an underground crevice. The source is shaded by old fig and cirnela trees, remnants of the first settlement, and surrounded by a lush fraut vegetation, which consists almost entirely of plants brought in by chance (garden weeds).

      If we go further up from the house, the vegetation remains the same up to a height of 600 feet; then gradually other shrubs, especially those from the composite family, begin to interfere; the Algoroba and the Palo santo show a stronger growth; the Lantana disappears and the factus have already stayed behind. The ground is also covered more densely with perennials of various kinds, but all of them still have the arid, spider-rice-like appearance. Only the white beard lichens (Usnea), which here cover the tree branches and swing in long tufts in the wind, indicate a little more moisture in the air. They characterize a belt between 600 and 800 feet, which separates the dry and humid regions, or, better said, mediates the transition between the two.

      Now we get between 800 and 900 feet on the high plateau next to the Cerro de paja, and there the scene changes almost suddenly. A fresh, damp wind is coming towards us from the east, the small plain shines like a meadow in the most glorious green, and evergreen forests surround it and cover the mountain slopes. As we walk, we feel that we have completely different ground under our feet:

instead of the foal-eating lava slag a soft black dammerbe. At this point I want to say that we have not entered a different geological formation, but that this almost sudden change in the soil and vegetation is solely due to the greater humidity and the atmospheric conditions in this region. Where the lava is nearly withdrawn from the destructive atmospheric influences, as in the rainless lower region, it remains fresh for thousands of drives, and the crater edges are as sharp as on the day they were formed (they are reminiscent of Monda volcanoes, whose sharp contours can also be seen through The lack of atmospheric spherical influences on the moon is used to explain), while the same material quickly decomposes in the constant mist and rain of the higher zone, the outer volcano outlines are rounded and the craters blurred. As everywhere, from basaltic material, good arable soil is formed, and the vegetation itself, which under such conditions can gain a foothold much more quickly and thrives more luxuriantly, contributes not a little to the ever-progressing decomposition of the rock, as its roots mechanically and act chemically.

      I have followed long lava flows several times, which extend from one region to the other, and was able to convince myself to the point of evidence that the different soil conditions of their surface are not a result of time, ie different times of origin, but simply the atmospheric conditions mentioned; A garden can be planted on the same lava flow in the upper part, and in the lower part one can climb with difficulty over its slag crust.

      We came up to the plateau from the west, and there the rapid transition is really striking, but on the eastern slope of the island, where the damp sea breezes overhead

stroke up the long back and the vapor bubbles condense first, the transition is gradual, and the green zone extends a little deeper. The same is the case with Chat ham, Indefatigable and Albemarle.

      which densely cover the trees. Of 8 ferns I collected here, 6 are identical to species of the Quitensian highlands, as are two Lycopodia and a Galium (or Rubia), which climbs 20 feet and bears red berries. Yes, two fern herbs even settle me in my dear German home: the common bracken, Pteris aquilina and the Cystopteris fragilis (they are also found in Quito)! The forests are light and planted without a loop, so that you can easily get through everywhere; they are often interrupted by small grass plains on which the lawn Yes, two fern herbs even settle me in my dear German home: the common bracken, Pteris aquilina and the Cystopteris fragilis (they are also found in Quito)! The forests are light and planted without a loop, so that you can easily get through everywhere; they are often interrupted by small grass plains on which the lawn Yes, two fern herbs even settle me in my dear German home: the common bracken, Pteris aquilina and the Cystopteris fragilis (they are also found in Quito)! The forests are light and planted without a loop, so that you can easily get through everywhere; they are often interrupted by small grass plains on which the lawn

is short and consists almost entirely of Gramineae and Cyperaceae. - There is no doubt that the vegetation, despite its peculiarities, is on the whole of a South American type, both according to the genera and according to the external habitus; but what distinguishes it at first sight from the flora of the mainland even to the non-botanist is the smallness of the leaf organs, the absence of beautiful flowers, the rarity of the epiphytic plants, and the absence of lianas or creepers. The beauty of the South American forests in the equatorial zone consists for the most part in the splendid large leaf forms of the monocotyledons, such as the palms, musaceae, zingiberaceae, aroids; all of these are absent. As for the second point, I did not find a single beautiful or striking flower in the whole archipelago.

      On the way to the hacienda we come across a small stream that rises to the left of the mountains, but soon gets lost in a swamp; it is bordered by rushes and keds and covered by aquatic plants (Myriophyllum, Callitriche, Salvinia, Lemna). We meet the same plants on the small lagoons of the high plateau, which only dry out when it rains very little for several years in a row.

      We could now distinguish a third zone over the forest region, which is free of trees and covered only with coarse tufted grass; but on Floreana it is confined to the highest mountain peaks, while it is of greater extent on Chatham Island.

      The poor huts of the workers in the hacienda are nothing inviting, so it is all the more pleasant to walk through them

cultivated land. There are a few mornings for a shot against the feral cattle (which will be discussed later) with a thick orange hedge, and, like a garden, separated from clean paths and beautifully cultivated. I marveled at the great fertility of the soil, and at the ease with which plants in the hot zone acclimatized here next to those in the temperate zone. Small experiments have only been carried out with a large number of plants, others are already being built on a large scale. In addition to the most wonderful sugar cane, as well as manioc and potatoes, a potato field provides large floury tubers; between the cotton and indigo bushes stand magnificent heads of lettuce and cabbage (one was two and a half feet in diameter!); Radishes, carrots, beets and artichokes are shaded by the African banana (guineo); the Kebe winds its way up the East Indian Aguacate (Persea gratissima); Large orange trees and limes stand scattered, laden with golden fruits; Perhaps in no other part of the world does the fig tree (Ficus Carica) thrive. as good and as abundant as here; some recently introduced palm trees are already rising. In short, one should think of every cultivated plant that it is in the most appropriate soil and climate. Yes, if the whole of the Galápagos Islands were as favored by the climatic conditions as this small spot on which the hacienda stands, they could be transformed into a true paradise through culture, and flora would probably have it already from not so neglected from the start. But unfortunately the cultivable terrain on Floreana is barely a square mile!

      If I now come to the zoology of this island, I must start with the general remark that the endemic fauna is poor or maybe still

is poorer than the flora, and I believe that it is especially due to this circumstance that newly introduced plants and animals look like this. multiply easily and quickly: with the endemic species they have little or no "stampede for existence" and almost no enemies at all. It gives the impression that nature on these young islands does not yet have all the places with endemic species and these empty spaces are taken up by imported genera without the endemic ones having to be displaced. Incidentally, the change in the plant and animal kingdoms brought about by the settlements is still too new to make this most recent assertion, or rather a presumption, ab folut; time must teach us to what extent the old fauna is compatible with the new. If one reports earlier trips and even compares Darwin's with the current status quo, one finds that some animal species have become rarer or have disappeared on individual islands, such as Ž. B. the crested turtle; but this change is due to direct destructive human intervention.

      Only one native species of mammals is known with certainty, a small rodent the size of a rat (Mus Galopagoënsis), which is rare. I found only once, on Barrington, the rust-brown, dried-up hide of this animal, without a head, probably the remainder of the prey of a buzzard or an owl. I was assured that there were bats and I believe they do, but I haven't seen any and cannot say whether they are endemic. Darwin does not speak of introduced and feral mammals, with the exception of mice and cats, which unfortunately have reproduced only too much. I conclude from this that the many domestic animals that were feral at the time of his trip were still there

did not exist and only spread after the dissolution of the colony, for otherwise that exact observer would not have kept silent about this interesting subject, to which I believe I should dedicate a few lines here. The following animals are completely wild and naturalized: the child, the goat, the horse, the donkey, the pig, the dog, the cash register, the domestic fowl.

      The cattle live in large herds on the plateaus and mountains of Floreana and Chatham, and for some years now some animals have been found on the mountains of southern Albemarle without knowing how they got there. On Floreana, the number is between 800 and 900; on Chatham it may amount to 2-3,000. Since you shoot 3 to 4 pieces on average every day, they seem to be gaining weight rather than losing weight. It is a beautiful, large, courageous breed whose bulls often attack humans, especially when they are shot. At Chatham a number of calves have been caught, followed by the cows by themselves, and so a large herd is kept on fenced pastures. Incidentally, it is sufficient to keep the calves in the fencing; the cows, those who go up to the pampas during the day and fraternize with the wild herds, come infallibly to the corral at night, and willingly allow themselves to be milked. From time to time entire ships are brought to Guayaquil alive. When I was there, more than 60 cows produced abundant and excellent milk, from which Räje is made. A man is employed to shoot wild cattle and is called the tirador; he mainly kills the old bulls and spares the cows (which are usually fatter and have better meat). A great part of the flesh is lost, the rest becomes When I was there, more than 60 cows produced abundant and excellent milk, from which Räje is made. A man is employed to shoot wild cattle and is called the tirador; he mainly kills the old bulls and spares the cows (which are usually fatter and have better meat). A great part of the flesh is lost, the rest becomes When I was there, more than 60 cows produced abundant and excellent milk, from which Räje is made. A man is employed to shoot wild cattle and is called the tirador; he mainly kills the old bulls and spares the cows (which are usually fatter and have better meat). A great part of the flesh is lost, the rest becomes

salted, dried in the sun and shipped to Guayaquil, together with the skins, which are of greater value than those from the mainland, because they are not pierced by insect larvae like these, for the cattle on the Galápagos Islands have from the Insect plague hardly to suffer at all. As Captain Petersen recently told me, in the last year on Floreana people began to imitate the example of Chatham and to tame cattle; at the time of my stay there it was only shot. As far as I know, there are feral horses only on Floreana (some have been tamed), the more common the Efel are on this island, as well as on Chatham, Indefatigable and Albemarle. They stick together in groups of 10 to 15, at night they come to the water pools and celebrate their orgies with terrible screams that often startled me from sleep. The owy settlers keep quite a few ejels for their service. As wild and courageous as they are when they are caught, thrashing about and biting terribly, after eight days they are the most patient, frugal burden of animals. Why have the Efel on these islands adopted the strange habit of sitting on their back legs like a dog or a cash register? Even the most serious man will not be able to suppress laughter when he sees them gravely on the pampas in this form-like posture . The goats are said to have lost weight in the set time, as is believed because of the wild dogs. You stay on the roughest rocks on the seashore and do not go into the damp highlands. I saw a small herd on the Cormorant-Spisse on Floreana, another on Chatham, on the Cerro de los chivos (goat hill), which has their name, and a few isolated on the barren Barrington Island.

— There are pigs on all the larger islands, they are said to be the most numerous on Santiago and their hunt should not be without danger. I did not see them in a wild state, but I saw a few tamed ones that were no different from the common domestic pig. Just as common and widespread is the dog, a reddish-brown beautiful breed, the size of the butcher's dog, but which is very easily tenacious and good-natured. They live in packs in the upper and lower regions. In Guayaquil the dogs are shot from the islands. The overgrown cash registers on Floreana and Chatham are all black, which struck me all the more as this color is almost never observed in Guayaquil. They are great, beautiful animals that live in the roughest lava rocks near the seashore, and I suspect that they especially chase after the crabs and even fish in the small pools of water (at least the streets in Guayaquil are extremely lustful for sea animals); Incidentally, the tame land birds, as well as rats and mice, offer them enough food.-Finally, I also notice that there are a number of feral chickens in the highest, most inaccessible parts of Floreana. All of the domestic animals listed thrive, left to their own devices, very well in the fresh, healthy climate, which is also very appealing to people. in the most inaccessible parts of Floreana hold up a number of feral chickens. All of the domestic animals listed thrive, left to their own devices, very well in the fresh, healthy climate, which is also very appealing to people. in the most inaccessible parts of Floreana hold up a number of feral chickens. All of the domestic animals listed thrive, left to their own devices, very well in the fresh, healthy climate, which is also very appealing to people.

      I had made up my mind to make as complete a collection of insects as possible from the islands, and to prepare myself for it; but the boxes were almost empty when they returned to Guayaquil, for it looks saddest in this class of animals, and one of my friends, a great insect lover, who had shown the desire to go on the trip, can only thank God that he stayed home . In the first few days I caught 4 types of day butterflies,

all of which are fairly common; but it stayed with this small number. I met them on Chatham, Indefatigable, and Albemarle, and they are probably found on all the major islands. It is remarkable that it is found especially in the lower region, which is poor in plants, and that the upper region is generally poorer in insects (and consequently also in birds), although the opposite should be expected. The most beautiful butterfly is an Agraulis (silver butterfly), which hardly differs as a variety from A. Vanillae on the mainland. Then follows a Colias which I have not observed in Ecuador, but which in general resembles the species of the high Andes; also a very small Lampides (Lycaenide), which is common in the province of Guayaquil, and finally a tailed Hesperide (Goniurus), which doesn't match any South American species I know. A sphing that I caught on board the Venecia could easily have come across by chance, and is also a common Ecuadorian species. - I know too little about the beetles to be able to distinguish the endemic species; my collection contains at most 15 or 16 species, including several with wing-coverts that have grown together. Of two species of locusts (Acridium), the smaller one can be found near the sea, the larger one in the interior of the islands. Dragonflies are common, but only in 2 or 3 species. The Hymenoptera, Diptera and Hemiptera are equally poor. In and around the houses one encounters a myriad of cockroaches, house barbecues and other vermin that were undoubtedly brought in with the ships. The same is true of several large species of spider. On the other hand, a small Scorpion is at home, for I found it everywhere under stones, even on the most desolate, uninhabited islands; also a very grump one

Scolopender (thousand feet) with huge pincers, the bite of which is said to be very poisonous. It becomes a foot long and resembles the Scolopendra gigantea; his favorite stay is in the crevices between the roughest blocks of lava, and he is most often found on Chatham. Two smaller common species are harmless. The scorpion and the great scolopender are probably the two only poisonous animals of the Galápagos Islands, from which man has to beware.

      On Floreana I observed 7 species of land birds, not counting the Finfen, for of these I do not know the number of species, since they look very similar to one another and males and females, old and young, differ greatly in the color of the plumage, so that I couldn't quite get into it. But I believe that you can distinguish at least 3 types. The sea and beach birds are much more numerous, but less interesting because they are not endemic like them. I will speak of the birds later in particular, and only add here that every visitor to the islands, as soon as he enters the country, notices the great tame of the native land birds. Many of them fly in curiously, lie down on the nearest bushes and watch the people attentively. A shot only scares them for a moment, and immediately they are back. Incidentally, you don't even need the shotgun, and you can get hold of it with a whip (some I caught with the butterfly nose); they often hop on a stick held out to them, and at Albemarle I grabbed several with my hand that had sat on my hat or on my shoulders. It was there that I was able to catch a large falcon (you can beat it to death with a club) and I had trouble keeping it away from the birds that were being prepared for preparation and at Albemarle I grabbed several with my hand who had sat on my hat or on my shoulders. It was there that I was able to catch a large falcon (you can beat it to death with a club) and I had trouble keeping it away from the birds that were being prepared for preparation and at Albemarle I grabbed several with my hand who had sat on my hat or on my shoulders. It was there that I was able to catch a large falcon (you can beat it to death with a club) and I had trouble keeping it away from the birds that were being prepared for preparation

lay next to me. You can get yourself an ample meal from the pigeons in a very short time. The sea and beach birds are as shy and difficult to shoot as on the coasts of the mainland; An exception to this is a laughing gull, which is impudently bold and cheeky and stole turtle meat from the huts on Albemarle, but this gull is peculiar to the islands, most of the other seabirds are not.

      Only very slowly do the birds get used to instinctively fearful of humans and to flee, but even more slowly they seem to lose the instinct that has become hereditary. On Floreana and Chatham the land birds have been followed frequently by men for several centuries (the sailors of the berthing ships usually take the raw pleasure of killing them as much as they can), and yet they have not become wiser while the other way round Seabirds are still as shy as their ancestors who immigrated from the coast, although very few of the current generation have never seen the mainland (they are not migratory birds) or on several islands before. On the Galápagos Islands one can therefore almost certainly infer from the tameness or shyness of a bird that The strangest class of animals in the Galápagos Islands are the reptiles, but Floreana is not the most suitable place for their study. I did not see any snakes there, only a few lizards on the beach and the large shields have become extremely rare, because the former colony has thoroughly cleaned up with these.

      One day I made a trip to the seashore south of Playa Prieta, where there is a large lava

stream poured into the sea. In the lower part it offers an extremely wild sight, and it is difficult to get over it, for in contact with the sea water the glowing lava formed high vaulted swellings, depressions, hollows, fissures 2c. The surf has partly destroyed the end of this current, and has severed some islets and rocks. At the time of ebb tide I came across a narrow tongue of land to the largest, flat island of these, which is surrounded by alluvial white sand (crushed mussel shells and corals) on which a few skeletons of large seals lay. Here I first got to know the very strange sea lizard, which is of interest not only to the zoologist but also to the geologist, because in it he is the only Every living representative of the sea dinosaurs sees, as it were, the remnants and stragglers of those mighty dinosaurs, which played such a great role in the primeval times of our planet. The people call the animal, as well as the land species related to it, iguana, but it is very different from the real South American iguanas, and forms its own genus, amblyrhynchus (snout), restricted to the Galápagos archipelago. Darwin has excellently portrayed the way of life of both species Genus restricted to the Galápagos Archipelago, Amblyrhynchus (snout). Darwin has excellently portrayed the way of life of both species Genus restricted to the Galápagos Archipelago, Amblyrhynchus (snout). Darwin has excellently portrayed the way of life of both species1 ) and I hardly know of anything new to add. The Amblyrhynchus cristatus occurs frequently on all islands and only in the rough, jagged lava banks directly on the sea shore; The safest time to meet him is when the tide is out on the flooded rocks, where he likes to sunbathe with his limbs stretched out. In this position I met on the small island mentioned above

a group of 9 or 10 individuals. Most were about three feet in length, and the largest I caught there measured a little over three and a half feet. Although they are not shy and seemingly sluggish in their movements, when I approached they quickly hid themselves in the lava crevices, and when these are deep it is difficult to get them. If you take hold of them by the long tail, and they can hold themselves in the hole with their strong claws, it takes all the strength of a man to pull them out (the tail, flattened as in the Pro Kodil, is extremely strong and sinewy, so that it does not breaks off easily). Some did not reach a deep crevice in the hurry and then hurried to the next best hole zit, which barely concealed the head or fore part of the body. In this position they remained immobile, even if you touched and stimulated them, pawed their forefeet at most once to widen the hole. So I slowly caught four of them and tied them to a string like dogs. They never tried to bite me, even though they have good, sharp teeth.

      I prepared a skeleton and a hide, and I kept two alive for several days to watch them. They do not eat any of the accused land plants in captivity, and Darwin has shown that they live only on seaweed and graze the seabed near the coasts. Carrying this food that guides them to the sea, and since they are excellent swimmers, they never plunge into the water, pursued, but try to hide on land; it is seldom seen in the sea, only twice have I seen a number of individuals on Barrington step out of the water and onto land; the stomach of one of them, which I was securing, was filled with very fresh seaweed. This sea lizard is an ugly animal and reminds of the

first sight of the newts rather than the small, nimble lizards. Its color is brown-black, different on the back, now darker, now lighter brown and marbled green, and yellowish or reddish on the abdomen. In the dry these colors appear smacky, and the animal looks more beautiful in water or in alcohol. On the head the skin forms a depicted armor, the shields of which are obsessed with horny protrusions and spines. A comb-long horn runs from the head to the end of the tail. The head armor is firmly attached to the bones of the skull and makes it difficult to pull off and prepare the skin. The settlers hate this "Igu ana de agua" and eat neither meat nor fat from it. Their reproduction is still unknown, and I tried in vain To find eggs or very young animals. I don't think the rest of the islands have different species of sea lizard. At first I thought I noticed an essential difference in those of Barrington, but on closer comparison it was only found that they were consistently smaller and the back crest had less long thorns, which can hardly make a variety, but definitely a subtle difference in species. I first got to know the land species (Iguana de tierra) of Amblyrhynchus on Barrington; on Floreana it seems to be absent and was perhaps exterminated by humans because it is used in a similar way to the turtles. but on closer comparison it was only found that they were consistently smaller and the back crest had less long thorns, which can hardly make a variety, but can make a fine distinction. I first got to know the land species (Iguana de tierra) of Amblyrhynchus on Barrington; on Floreana it seems to be absent and was perhaps exterminated by humans because it is used in a similar way to the turtles. but on closer comparison it was only found that they were consistently smaller and the back crest had less long thorns, which can hardly make a variety, but can make a fine distinction. I first got to know the land species (Iguana de tierra) of Amblyrhynchus on Barrington; on Floreana it seems to be absent and was perhaps exterminated by humans because it is used in a similar way to the turtles.

      When I was present on Floreana (beginning of November) I drove with Captain Petersen in the boat to the post-office bay. The same is formed by the Cormorant-Spise and the Daylight-Spisse, which is better known under the name Punta del Diablo. The coast on the

Playa prieta is flat, rising gradually to the north and at the last-mentioned spit forms a wall more than 200 feet high, which plunges vertically into the sea. The upper part of the wall bears the cross section of a mighty stream of lava, which lies on an inclined capillary layer, and is separated like basalt into the most beautiful columns and pillars. The crater from which the lava escaped rises nearly 500 feet above the sea a short distance from the edge of the fall. In the post-office bay itself, the shore is again flat and gently rising, and in some places the lava is covered by a narrow zone of white sand. This is also the case on the numerous islets in the middle of the bay, which at low tide are partly connected to the coast, and are the debris or higher parts of a lava field. Some are made entirely of black lava and are bare, others are covered with sand and in this case with bushes and salt plants. The bay is a seal favorite; When we got off on the islets, many of them were taking their midday nap and snoring loudly. We wanted to get some skins. It is well known that these animals are very awkward and do not waddle away very quickly with their fin-like front legs and tail-like rear feet. As soon as they perceive danger, the sea approaches, from which they are not easily more than 20 paces away. Their retreat is cut off by standing on the beach between the water and their camp; then they halt indecisively and raise their forelegs upwards with a dull roar in order to defend themselves. I don't want to get under their teeth, which are very strong, but you can approach them fairly safely, and

a few blows with the oar or the butt of the rifle on the naje quickly killed her most sensitive part of the body. They do not attack easily if they are not irritated, but I saw an example myself. Captain Petersen was just on the sand, a few steps from the water, busy skinning a female cob, when suddenly a tall male, the size of a fat ox, swam up roaring, stepped ashore and threw himself in this way quickly the captain could go. He called me over and I shot the furious animal a load of bird meal in the head, whereupon it collapsed dead. Strange that these big seals have such weak skull bones.

      Here in the country all seals are called lobos (common seals or actually wolves). But those of the Galápagos Islands do not belong to the Phoca family, but to Otaria (they have a short outer Dhr), and there are two types. The big one I have just spoken of, which is up to twelve feet long and the meanest, has simple, short hair, and is therefore a sea lion; the second, smaller species (5-6 feet), which occurs on Albemarle and the North Islands, has double hair, namely long bristle hairs and fine ground wool; it is a fur seal, and its fur is more valuable than that of the sea lion, while it is much more readable is fatter and delivers more throne. Sometimes our own ships come to the islands to catch seals.

      I also captured many sea and beach birds in Post Office Bay; some of the islets discussed were literally covered with their eggs and young. The strangest among them was the penguin or fat diver (Apteno dytes) with its featherless wing stumps, which serve as ruins. He swims excellently with very under

submerged body, only the head protrudes from the water, and this too often disappears for a long time. He waddles ashore like a seal and climbs onto the lava blocks with the help of the oar wings. Here and there one sees whole rows sitting motionless, a few feet above the surf, in an upright position. When he tries to walk, he acts very awkwardly and wiggles his limply, drooping wing stumps only to bump into it when he falls, just like a child who is beginning to learn to walk, which is why he is described here pajaro-niño ( Children's bird). The specimens brought with me do not correspond to any species, the description of which is accessible to me, and it may perhaps be a new species which I shall briefly characterize. This penguin is black on top playing on the sides and against the rump in the slate gray, below from the breast silver-white. A white stripe runs from the base of the wing through the black-gray sides to the feet. Wings black, inside with a wide, white longitudinal stripe. Head and neck black, throat white, as well as a narrow line that runs from the corner of the beak through the eye and unites in an arc with a whitish spot on the lower throat. Size 3 feet. s eye runs and merges in an arc with a whitish spot on the lower throat. Size 3 feet. s eye runs and merges in an arc with a whitish spot on the lower throat. Size 3 feet.

      We rowed into the bay beside the cormorant spike and went ashore. This spit was of geological interest to me because it is the only point at which I saw something comparable to Vesuvius and Somma, namely a cinder cone surrounded by an older semicircular tuff crater. Nevertheless, I believe that the two are not so directly related to one another as with that Italian volcano, and that they must rather be called an accidental connection; Plate 3 gives a picture of the interesting mountain.

Behind the sand dunes there is an important lagoon of lake water, around which salt crusts have been removed by strong evaporation because it is only fed with new water during spring tides. With a little effort and a simple device, one could set up salt gardens here and extract a lot of salt. Incidentally, similar lagoons occur on all the islands near the coast, and Darwin describes a salt lake in a tuff crater on the island of Santiago, in which the water is only 3 to 4 inches deep and rests on a thick layer of crystallized white salt (whole like in the artificial salt marshes of Santa Elena). This natural saltworks is well known to all settlers and is widely exploited. Our intention was to shoot some flamingos, which should be common at the lagoon at the cormorant spike, but we didn't meet a single one. It seems that these birds migrate from island to island and are nowhere permanent, at least an old, very experienced negro assured me on Albemarle, where I also looked for them in vain, that they are currently on Santiago and will not return for a few months.

      Finally we rowed out to the Onslow rocks, which have been given the name Corona del diablo here. There are sharp and very craggy lava rocks, which are 50 to 100 feet high, crowned by a few columnar cactus, but otherwise quite bare. Their semicircular position suggests that they represent the spits of an underwater cinder block. At the inner edge of the semicircle, where there is only a few meters of sand - the only landing. plass - has washed ashore, according to Mr. Petersen we should definitely find the sea turtle, and there really were about 30 of them lying together with their legs apart

basking on the sand. We jumped out of the boat quickly and turned them over with what they were trapped; only a few had come to terms and escaped into the water. It was the species common throughout the Pacific, Chelonia Mydas; but the specimens were mostly small, a few of the largest weighing about a cent, while those of 700 pounds have been caught. The captain wanted to get some turtle oil and so we took 20 of them into the boat and drove back to Playa prieta.

Theodor Wolf.
      "Ein Besuch der Galápagos-Inseln."
  Sommlung von Vortragen für das deutsche Volk.
Erster Band.
Heidelberg, C. Winter, 1879.
pp.257-300.

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