Island Life Part 29

j.a.pAN.

The j.a.panese Islands occupy a very similar position on the eastern sh.o.r.e of the great Euro-Asiatic continent to that of the British Islands on the western, except that they are about sixteen degrees further south, and having a greater extension in lat.i.tude enjoy a more varied as well as a more temperate climate. Their outline is also much more irregular and their mountains loftier, the volcanic peak of Fusiyama being 14,177 feet high; while their geological structure is very complex, their soil extremely fertile, and their vegetation in the highest degree varied and beautiful.

Like our own islands, too, they are connected with the continent by a marine bank less than a hundred fathoms below the surface--at all events towards the north and south; but in the intervening s.p.a.ce the Sea of j.a.pan opens out to a width of six hundred miles, and in its central portion is very deep, and this may be an indication that the connection between the islands and the continent is of rather ancient date. At the Straits of Corea the distance from the main land is about 120 miles, while at the northern extremity of Yesso it is about 200. The island of Saghalien, however, separated from Yes...o...b.. a strait only twenty-five miles wide, forms a connection with Amoorland in about 52 N. Lat. A southern warm current flowing a little to the eastward of the islands, ameliorates their climate much in the same way as the Gulf Stream does ours, and added to their insular position enables them to support a more tropical vegetation and more varied forms of life than are found at corresponding lat.i.tudes in China.

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[Ill.u.s.tration: MAP OF j.a.pAN AND FORMOSA (with depths in fathoms).

Light tint, sea under 100 fathoms. Medium tint, under 1,000 fathoms. Dark tint, over 1,000 fathoms. The figures show the depth in fathoms.]

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_Zoological Features of j.a.pan._--As we might expect from the conditions here sketched out, j.a.pan exhibits in all its forms of animal life a close general resemblance to the adjacent continent, but with a considerable element of specific individuality; while it also possesses some remarkable isolated groups. Its fauna presents indications of there having been two or more lines of migration at different epochs. The majority of its animals are related to those of the temperate or cold regions of the continent, either as identical or allied species; but a smaller number have a tropical character, and these have in several instances no allies in China but occur again only in Northern India or the Malay Archipelago. There is also a slight American element in the fauna of j.a.pan, a relic probably of the period when a land communication existed between the two continents over what are now the shallow seas of j.a.pan, Ochotsk, and Kamschatka. We will now proceed to examine the peculiarities and relations of the fauna.

_Mammalia._--The mammalia of j.a.pan at present known are forty in number; not very many when compared with the rich fauna of China and Manchuria, but containing monkeys, bears, deer, wild goats and wild boars, as well as foxes, badgers, moles, squirrels, and hares, so that there can be no doubt whatever that they imply a land connection with the continent. No complete account of j.a.pan mammals has been given by any competent zoologist since the publication of Von Siebold's _Fauna j.a.ponica_ in 1844, {394} but by collecting together most of the scattered observations since that period the following list has been drawn up, and will, it is hoped, be of use to naturalists. The species believed to be peculiar to j.a.pan are printed in italics. These are very numerous, but it must be remembered that Corea and Manchuria (the portions of the continent opposite j.a.pan) are comparatively little known, while in very few cases have the species of j.a.pan and of the continent been critically compared. Where this has been done, however, the peculiar species established by the older naturalists have been in many cases found to be correct.

LIST OF THE MAMMALIA OF THE j.a.pANESE ISLANDS.

1. _Macacus speciosus._ A monkey with rudimentary tail and red face, allied to the Barbary ape. It inhabits the island of Niphon up to 41 N. Lat., and has thus the most northern range of any living monkey.

2. _Pteropus dasymallus._ A peculiar fruit-bat, found in Kiusiu Island only (Lat. 33 N.), and thus ranging further north of the equator than any other species of the genus.

3. Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum. The great horse-shoe bat, ranges from Britain across Europe and temperate Asia to j.a.pan. It is the _R.

nippon_ of the Fauna j.a.ponica according to Mr. Dobson's _Monograph of Asiatic Bats_.

4. R. minor. Found also in Burma, Yunan, Java, Borneo, &c.

5. Vesperugo pipistrellus. From Britain across Europe and Asia.

6. V. abramus. Also in India and China.

7. V. noctula. From Britain across Europe and Asia.

8. V. molossus. Also in China.

9. Vespertilio capaccinii. Philippine Islands, and Italy! This is _V.

macrodactylus_ of the Fauna j.a.ponica according to Mr. Dobson.

10. Miniopterus schreibersii. Philippines, Burma, Malay Islands. This is _Vespertilio blepotis_ of the Fauna j.a.ponica.

11. _Talpa wogura._ Closely resembles the common mole of Europe, but has six incisors instead of eight in the lower jaw.

12. _Talpa mizura._ Gunth. Allied to _T. wogura_.

13. _Urotrichus talpoides._ A peculiar genus of moles confined to j.a.pan. An American species has been named _Urotrichus gibsii_, and Mr.

Lord after comparing the two says that he "can find no difference whatever, either generic or specific. In shape, size, and colour, they are exactly alike." But Dr. Gunther (_P. Z. S._ 1880, p. 441) states that _U. gibsii_ differs so much in dent.i.tion from the j.a.panese species that it should be placed in a distinct genus, which he calls Neurotrichus.

14. Sorex myosurus. A shrew, found also in India and Malaya.

15. _Sorex dzi-nezumi._

16. _S. umbrinus._

17. _S. platycephalus._ {395}

18. Ursus arctos. var. A peculiar variety of the European brown bear which inhabits also Amoorland and Kamschatka. It is the _Ursus ferox_ of the Fauna j.a.ponica.

19. _Ursus j.a.ponicus._ A peculiar species allied to the Himalayan and Formosan species. Named _U. tibeta.n.u.s_ in the Fauna j.a.ponica.

20. _Meles anak.u.ma._ Differs from the European and Siberian badgers in the form of the skull.

21. _Mustela brachyura._ A peculiar martin found also in the Kurile Islands.

22. _Mustela melanopus._ The j.a.panese sable.

23. _M. j.a.ponica._ A peculiar martin (See _Proc. Zool. Soc._ 1865, p.

104).

24. _M. Sibericus._ Also Siberia and China. This is the _M. italsi_ of the Fauna j.a.ponica according to Dr. Gray.

25. _Lutronectes whiteleyi._ A new genus and species of otter (_P. Z. S._ 1867, p. 180). In the Fauna j.a.ponica named _Lutra vulgaris_.

26. Enhydris marina. The sea-otter of California and Kamschatka.

27. _Canis hodophylax._ According to Dr. Gray allied to _Cuon sumatra.n.u.s_ of the Malay Islands, and _C. alpinus_ of Siberia, if not identical with one of them (_P. Z. S._ 1868, p. 500).

28. _Vulpes j.a.ponica._ A peculiar fox. _Canis vulpes_ of Fauna j.a.ponica.

29. Nyctereutes procyonoides. The rac.o.o.n-dog of N. China and Amoorland.

30. _Lepus brachyurus._ A peculiar hare.

31. _Sciurus lis._ A peculiar squirrel.

32. _Pteromys leucogenys._ The white-cheeked flying squirrel.

33. _P. momoga._ Perhaps identical with a Cambojan species (_P. Z. S._ 1861, p. 137).

34. _Myoxus j.a.ponicus._ A peculiar dormouse. _M. elegans_ of the Fauna j.a.ponica; _M. javanicus_, Schinz (_Synopsis Mammalium_, ii. p. 530).

35. _Mus argenteus._ China.

36. _Mus molossinus._

37. _M. nezumi._

38. _M. speciosus._