these volcanic islands lie on the equator in the pacific ocean some 600 miles west of south america and 8000 miles east of polynesia. lt is now generally agreed that they were pushed up out of the sea by volcanoes more than one million years ago and have never been connected with the mainland. whatever land animals they harbor must have come over the sea, and very few species have established themselves there: just two kinds mammals, five reptiles, six songbirds and five other land birds