Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-08-08
Galapagos Land Turtle.

! prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety Washington, d. c.
| Once more scientists have gone to
! the Galapagos islands, little archi-
pelago, 600 miles off the coast of
Ecuador in the Pacific, to study animals
and plants that can be found nowhere
else In the world. These remote is
lands are believed to have played an
important part in the final formula
ton of the theory of organic evolution.
Darwin landed there in 1885 and was
fascinated by the unique and unex-
pected forms of life which he found.
Here were some of the best data in
regard to the development Of forms in
Isolated regions, which he encountered
on the famous voyage Of the Beagle"
data which he drew upon when he
later wrote his "Origin of Species"
Darwin arrived at the conclusion that
these islands were at no time con-
nected with any continent, but that
they were formed far from other land
by volcanic action, and that not even
the members of the group had ever
been connected. He found himself sur
rounded by new birds, new reptiles,
new insects and new plants and to a
considerable extent each island was
inhabited by different kinds of beings.
The most famous of the creatures of
the Galapagos islands-the ones, in
fact, from which they take their name
are the giant land turtles. Some of
these, weigh more than 200 pounds and
are several feet in diameter. Darwin,
like numerous later visitors. rode on
their backs. Thousands of them ex-
listed on all the islands Ca different
species on each island) before they
were molested by man; and numerous
paths, extending for miles up the
mountain sides, were beaten by the
awkward creatures on their regular
trips to the few springs and pools
More significant to science however,
are the large sea iguanas, the only
marine lizards known now to exist in
the world. They are really "immi-
grants" from past geologic ages when
other huge saurians splashed through
the seas. These lizards are black, re-
pulsive creatures, three and four feet
long. Thousands of them may be seen
basking on the wet volcanic rocks
along the shore or swimming seward
In search of food. In spite Of their
appearance they are harmless and
will not bite even when leased.
Inland, land lizards, little smaller
than their sea brothers, are even more
numerous, large areas being perforated
by their burrows. The other forms of
animal life of the Galapagos are not
SO strikingly interesting to the layman,
but science finds that whether they be
birds or insects at least half of them
are of species unknown save on these
islands. The same situation is found
in regard to the plants. Thirty-eight
Of the plants on one island, James, are
found only in the Galapagos, and thirty
Of them are confined to James island
alone.
Once a Buccaneers Resort.
The Galapagos islands were for
long time remote from any steamer
lanes. 1t was natural, therefore, that
they should remain uninhabited and
undeveloped for nearly three centuries
after their discovery in 1885. But
their very remoteness made them q
safe gathering place for buccaneers,
and those WORTHLESS who preyed on
Spanish treasure ships and the Span
the islands in the Sixteenth and Seven
teenth centuries. Dogs, cats, goats
and donkeys left by them have given
rise to numerous wild descendants on
some of the islands. Much treasure is
believed to have been buried there
and some, In fact, has been found.
What are believed to be the main de-
posits, however, have never come to
light
The next picturesque chapter in the
history of the islands was written in
the early years of the Nineteenth CEN
fury when American whalers, who
found their catches in the Atlantic de-
creasing, rounded the Horn and began
operations in the Pacific They found
the Galapagos islands a convenient
place to meet, get water and even to
repienish their larders with the deli.
cate flesh of the giant turtles. On
Charles island (Santa Maria to the
Ecuadoreans) the wnaIers established
on Post Office bay a cache in which
the ships left mail for each other.
About this time the Ecuador govern
ment, alarmed perhaps by the presence
Of the Americans, decided formally to
take possession Of the islands. This
wss done in 1881 and colony was es-