New Britain herald., 1928-10-31
ROBINSON CRUSOFS
 ISLE IS POPULAR
Proves Yeritihe Fiiryllnd for
 Science

Washington. Oct. 31 R1Part of the setting for many of the worlds most dramatic true stories of TO- nance and adventure. "Robinson Crusoe's island" Juan Fernandez. also has proved to be one of the happiest hunting grounds of sci- ence.
 Although it is only about s70 miles west of Valparaiso. Chile. its flaura and fauna bear little re4en.- blance to those Of the neighboring New World continent. but are re- lated in the main to species which are found only in such distanvo places as New Zealand, Australia. and South America. Some. indeed, the flourishing survivals of a past geological era which have perisheu in practically all other parts of the earth.
 The theory is that this island. in some remote period before the pres ent rigorous climatic conditions be- gan to develop on the Antarctic continent. was part of a more or less continuous reach of land which probably stretched across the South Pole and included those distant Ola World regions to which 1t is mos, closely related in plant and animal life. New evidence in support of rested largely on botanical studies, this theory, which heretofore has has been brought back to Washing ton by Dr. Waldo l.. Schmitt of the Smithsonian Institution. one of the most recent scientific visitors to the island. in the form of crab and a spider which builds it's nest riodically submerged by the tides in the safety of rocks that are pc of the sea.
 As curator of the division of Ma rine Invertebrates of the National Museum, Dr. Schmitt was drawn to Juan Fernandez to collect rare specimens in his field of science and to investigate the remarkable lobster industry there which sup ports a population of nearly 300 and provides annually thousands of huge crustaceans two and three feet long that delight the epicures of Valparaiso and Santiago.
 The crab he found apparently has become rare on the island, and he obtained only one complete spec imen. It has no relatives on the South American continent, but is familiar on the shores of New Zea- land.
 The spider was caught by acci- dent while he was hunting shrimp along a rocky shore at low tide. Picking up piece of rock which contained a hole suggesting that it might hold prize for his collec- tion of marine invertebrates, he cracked it open. and the creature fled from its webbed nest inside. Disappointed over finding no shrimp, he captured the spider in- stead.
 Bringing 1t home, he learned that he had discovered a species rare to this side of the world, of genus never before found except in South Africa. New Zealand and Australia, where such marine crea- lures are more common. It's nest he recalls. was woven in a rock which was probably submerged foot under water at high tide and was rarely if ever dry.
 The island, where Alexander Sel- kirk's self-imposed exile of four years from 1704 to 170S provided Daniel Defoe with most of the ideas for his masterpiece, Robin son Crusoe," is described by Dr. Schmitt as one of the most charm- ing place. in climate and natural beauties, he has ever visited. It's historical associations are promi- nently interwoven with the exploits of the early navigators and circum- ravigators and with many great wars. including the latest. for 1t was there that the German cruiser Dresden sought refuge and -A finally sunk after the Falkland Islands battle in December, 1914. It's naval importance was once re- garded as so great that. at the time of the negotiation of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1712. the English parlia- ment actually considered substitut- ing it for Gibraltar, and fourth of the membership voted in favor of