Beebe: R illianms Galapagos Expedition1


    The shore life at this landing, which we named Harrison ('ove,
was plentiful and most interesting. The instantaneously arresting
feature was the astounding tameness of all the creatures. Having
never seen human beings they had little fear, the birds and sea-lions
being particularly indifferent to us. Perhaps indifference is hardly
the word, since in many cases they showed great curiosity about us.
Mockingbirds would follow us along, hopping from branch to branch
within arm's reach; little flycatchers would perch a foot from our
faces, in close inspection of our mystifying presences. It was found
almost impossible to alarm some of the big pelicans or gulls and
even among the crabs some individuals would stand as quietly as
the lava while we touched or pushed them about. During our first
hour ashore a wild duck flew down and alighted at our very feet
and a short-eared owl perched on my helmet as I walked through the
low scrubby undergrowth.
    Our first day at Harrison Cove was rich in interest and no one of
our succeedl ing (lays fell below its high standard. The fact that a
large percentage of the fauna and flora of the Galapagos is peculiar
to this Archipelago, and the presence of such rare forms as Ambly-
rhynchus, the only marine lizard in the world, and (Conolophus, an
extraordinary land lizard whose numbers are rapidly decreasing,
makes the study of these islands of particular interest.
    At Conway Bay we had a wide field from which to choose.
EIden, in spite of its small size, yielded a great quantity and variety
of specimens. It was here in one small cove that I obtained our
collection of living) Amblyrhynchus, and a host of interesting facts
concerning their life history. Insects on the Galapagos are very
limited as to numbers as well as species, but some unusual ones were
collected here, while tide-pools among the lava shore were inexhaust-
ible mines of beauty and value. Guy Fawkes Rocks to the north-
east of our anchorage were favorite haunts of sea-lions and many
memorable hours were spent under the over-hanging cliffs in photo-
graphing these animals and in delightful tests of their tameness.
Later, specimens were secured here.
     We had not found fresh water at Conway Bay and our supply
was rapidly diminishing. Even now we were on rations, shaving in
Whiterock or Poland Water and bathing only in salt water. Accord-
ing to the chart, there was fresh water at James Bay on James
Island, not far to the north of Indefatigable, and four of the party
went off in one of the larger motor-boats to investigate. They


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