For, To Give
One Instance, A Large Berry-Bearing Tree At James Island Has
No Representative Species In Charles Island.
But it is the
circumstance, that several of the islands possess their own
species of the tortoise, mocking-thrush,
Finches, and numerous
plants, these species having the same general habits,
occupying analogous situations, and obviously filling the
same place in the natural economy of this archipelago, that
strikes me with wonder. It may be suspected that some of
these representative species, at least in the case of the
tortoise and of some of the birds, may hereafter prove to be
only well-marked races; but this would be of equally great
interest to the philosophical naturalist. I have said that most
of the islands are in sight of each other: I may specify that
Charles Island is fifty miles from the nearest part of Chatham
Island, and thirty-three miles from the nearest part of
Albemarle Island. Chatham Island is sixty miles from the
nearest part of James Island, but there are two intermediate
islands between them which were not visited by me. James
Island is only ten miles from the nearest part of Albemarle
Island, but the two points where the collections were made
are thirty-two miles apart. I must repeat, that neither the
nature of the soil, nor height of the land, nor the climate,
nor the general character of the associated beings, and
therefore their action one on another, can differ much in the
different islands.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 611 of 776
Words from 163790 to 164039
of 208183
