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.
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