GALAPAGOS, gir-a-na'gos, ARCHI PELAGO, a group of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, belonging to the Republic of Ecuador (q.v.). It consists of 15 larger islands and about 40 smaller, with a total area estimated at 2,400 to 3,000 square miles, and all included between lat. 0° 38' N. and 27' S. and Iong. 89° 16' 30" W. and 91° 40' 45" W., except Cul peper and Wenman which lie somewhat farther toward the North. The more important in area are Albemarle, Indefatigable, Marlborough, Chatham, James and Charles — to give them the names in general use; at the same time we note that the government of Ecuador in 1892 renamed the archipelago, rather inappropri ately, "Colcin" and invented novel designations for separate members of the group. The dis tance from Chatham Island to Guayaquil is 620 miles, to Panama 840 miles, and to San Fran cisco 2,990 miles. Features of wholly _excep tional interest in the natural history of the archipelago were noted by Charles Darwin in his journal of the voyage of the Beagle, which forms the basis of the present description. The constitution of the whole is volcanic; with the exception of some ejected fragments of granite every part consists of lava, or of sandstone re sulting from the attrition of such materials. The higher islands (which attain an elevation of 3,000 to 4,000 feet) generally have one or more principal craters toward their centre, and on their flanks smaller orifices. There are, in all the islands, at least 2,000 craters. Though the islands are placed directly under the equator, climate is not in all parts of them excess ively hot ; a circumstance which is owing to the singularly low temperature of the surrounding ocean (compare the observations mentioned be low). Very little rain falls, except during one short season, but the clouds generally hang low ; therefore the summits, at an elevation of 1,000 feet or more, possess a tolerably luxuriant vege tation, while the lower parts of the islands are extremely arid. On a part of Chatham Island, black cones, the former chimneys of the subter ranean heated fluids, are so numerous and in form so regular that they give the country a "workshop" appearance, which strongly re minded Mr. Darwin of the great iron foundries of Staffordshire. All the craters on Chatham are extinct, but on the western islands "the vol canic forces were in frequent activity." Charles Island was frequented by buccaneers and whalers long before Ecuador established a small penal colony there. The soil of the elevated portions of that island is fertile black mud; the climate of the same regions is tempered by a cool south erly tradewind; and wild pigs and goats are found in the woods, "but the main article of animal food is derived from the tor toises"— which sometimes weigh 200 pounds each. On both Albemarle and Marlborough islands, eruptions occasionally take place. Of the former, Mr. Darwin writes: "I should think it would he difficult to find in any other part of the world an island situated within the tropics, and of such considerable size (namely, 75 miles long), so sterile and incap able of supporting life." On James Island there is a lake from which salt is procured. The equatorial heat was observed in its effect upon the soil of the lower and sterile parts.. There the thermometer placed in sand of a brown color immediately rose to 137°, and black sand was so much hotter that it was disagreeable to walk over, even in thick boots. An acacia. a cactus, and one of the euphorbiacem — a hush with minute brown leaves — are common in some parts of these lowlands. Near the sum
mits the vegetation has a very different char acter; ferns and coarse grasses are abundant; and the commonest tree is one of the Cotn positz. There are no members of the palm family. "The natural history of this archipel ago," Mr. Darwin says, is very remarkable. It seems to be a little world within itself ; the greater number of its inhabitants, both vege table and animal, being found nowhere else." And again, "In my collections from these islands there are 26 different species of land birds. With the exception of one, all probably are un described kinds, which inhabit this archipelago and no other part of the world." The order of reptiles forms the most striking feature in the zoology of the islands, the species not being numerous, but the number of individuals of each kind extraordinarily great. There is one kind both of the turtle and tortoise; of lizards four; and of snakes about the same number. Of the tortoise (Testudo Indicus) some old males have been found so large that it required six or eight men to lift them from the ground. Mr. Darwin says: "I frequently got on their backs, and then, upon giving a few raps on the hinder part of the shell, they would rise up and walk away; but I found it very difficult to keep my balance. The tortoise is very fond of water, drinking large quantities, and wallowing in the mud. The larger islands alone possess springs, and these are always situated toward the cen tral parts, and at a considerable elevation. The tortoises, therefore, which frequent the lower districts, when thirsty, are obliged to travel from a long distance. Hence broad and well beaten paths radiate off from the wells even down to the seacoast. Near the springs it was a curious spectacle to behold many of these great monsters; one set eagerly traveling on ward with outstretched necks, and another set returning, after having drunk their fill." Mr. Darwin inclined to the opinion that the Galapa gos islands are the original home of the Testudo Indicus, though it is now found in many parts of the world. Also characteristic of this archi pelago are the lizards, individuals of the aquatic variety being three or four feet long. Many of the islands possess trees, plants and birds, which do not occur on the others. At the date of Mr. Darwin's visit the birds had not learned to fear man. He wrote: "A gun is here al most superfluous ; for with the muzzle of one I pushed a hawk off the branch a tree." The Pan American Union Bulletin, Vol. XXXII (Jan.-June 1911), pp. 222 seq., states that in 1814 and 1825 English skippers reported activity in the Galapagos craters, and as late as 1907 a new opening appeared on James Island from which a torrent of lava flowed to the sea. The Eucadorian government took possession of the group 12 Feb. 1832, and it seems that the act of occupation was suggested by a citizen of the State of Louisiana, Mr. Villamil, who obtained a concession from Ecuador and was governor of the islands at the time of Darwin's visit. The average temperature is about 72° F. The mitigating influence of the Humboldt current is mentioned in the article LATIN AMERICA climate. But remarkable differences of temper ature are observed: for example, on one side of Albemarle Island a foot below the surface the ocean's temperature was 80° F., while on the other side it was less than 60° F. The number of indigenous botanical species is now given at 190; and there are 58 distinct species of land birds.