+-----------+-----------+--------------+ | |_Peculiar |_Non-peculiar | | | Species._ | Species._ | +-----------|-----------|--------------+ |Sandwich | 377 | 243 | |Galapagos | 174 | 158 | |St. Helena | 50 | 26 | | | ---- | ---- | | Totals | 601 | 427 | +-----------+-----------+--------------+ So that by adding together peculiar species both of land-animals and plants, we find that on these three limited areas alone there are 1258 forms of life which occur nowhere else upon the globe--not to speak of the peculiar aquatic species, nor of the presumably large number of peculiar species of all kinds not hitherto discovered in these imperfectly explored regions. Now let us compare these facts with those which are presented by the faunas and floras of islands less remote from continents, and known from independent geological evidence to be of comparatively recent origin--that is, to have been separated from their adjacent mainlands in comparatively recent times, and therefore as islands to be comparatively young. The British Isles furnish as good an instance as could be chosen, for they together comprise over 1000 islands of various sizes, which are nowhere separated from one another by deep seas, and in the opinion of geologists were all continuous with the European continent since the glacial period. BRITISH ISLES. NON-PECULIAR SPECIES. +---------+---------+----------+-----------+---------+---------+ | | Land | | Reptiles | Land | Land | | Plants. | Shells. | Insects. | and | Birds. | Mammals.| | | | | Amphibia. | | | +---------+---------+----------+-----------+---------+---------+ | 1462 | 83 | 12,551 | 13 | 130 | 40 | +---------+---------+----------+-----------+---------+---------+ PECULIAR SPECIES. +---------+---------+----------+-----------+---------+---------+ | | Land | | Reptiles | Land | Land | | Plants. | Shells. | Insects. | and | Birds. | Mammals.| | | | | Amphibia. | | | +---------+---------+----------+-----------+---------+---------+ | 46 | 4 | 149 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +---------+---------+----------+-----------+---------+---------+ Total Peculiar Plants 46 Total Peculiar Animals 154 ---- Grand Total 200