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GALAPAGOS ARCHIPELAGO.
[CHAP. XVII.
CHAPTER XVII.
GALAPAGOS ARCHIPELAGO.
The whole group volcanic—Number of craters—Leafless bushes—Colony at Charles Island—James Island—Salt-lake in crater—Natural History of the group—Ornithology, curious finches—Reptiles—Great tortoises, habits of—Marine lizard, feeds on sea-weed—Terrestrial lizard, burrowing habits, herbivorous—Importance of reptiles in the Archipelago—Fish, shells, insects—Botany—American type of organization—Differences in the species or races on different islands—Tameness of the birds—Fear of man, an acquired instinct.
September 15th.—This archipelago consists of ten principal islands, of which five exceed the others in size. They are situated under the Equator, and between five and six hundred miles westward of the coast of America. They are all formed
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