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Show 368 ISLAND LIF'K (PAnT II. BiTds.-Owing to the recent researches of some English residents we have probably a fnller knowledge of the birds than of the mammalia; yet the number of true land-birds ascertajncd to inhabit the islands either as residents or migrants is only 165,. which is less than mjght be expected considering the highly favourable conditions and the extreme riches of tbe adjacent continent,-Mr. Swinhoe's list of the birds of China containing more than 400 land species, after deducting all which are peculiar to the adjacent islands. Only sixteen species, or about one-tenth of the whole, are now considered to be peculjar to Japan; but even of these, five are classed by Mr. Seebohm as sub-species or slightly modified forms of contjnental bjrds, Ro that eleven only are well-marked species, undoubtedly distjnct from those of any other country. The great majority of the birds arc decidedly temperate forms identical with those of Northern Asia and Europe; while no loss than forty of the species are also found. in Britain, or are such slight modifications of British species that the difference is only perceptible to a trained ornithologist. The following list of the birds common to Britain and Japan is very interesting, when we consider that these countries are separated by the whole extent of the European and Asiatic continents, or by almost exactly one-fourth of the circumference of the globe:- BIRDS COMMON TO GREAT BRITIAN AND JAPAN,l 1. Com.m~n Creeper ( Ce1·thiajami· 11. Swallow, sub-sp. (Hirundo gut-bans). . turalis). 2. Nutha~ch (S~tta europea). 12. Sand martin ( Cotyle r1'par1'a). 3. Coal ht (Parus ater). 13. BramblinO' (Fringilla rnontif1'in- 4. Marsh t~t, sub~sp. (P.japonicus). gitla). 0 5. Long-ta1led tit (Acredula cau- 14. Siskin (Ohrysomitris sp1'nus ). data). . . 15. Lesser redpole(..di'giothuslina1·ia). 6. Gre~t grey shnke (Lanws excu- 16. Tree-sparrow (Passer montanus.) b~tor). 17. Pine grosbeak (Pyn·hula enu- 1. Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryoca- cleator). ta.ctes). 18. Reed bunting, sub-sp. (Emberiza 8. Carnon Crow (Corvus corone). pyn·hulina). 9. Raven (Corvus corax). 19. Snow bunting (Plectroplzanes 10. Wax wing (Ampelis garrula). nivalis). 1 Extra?ted from Messrs. Blakiston and Pryer's Catalogue of Birds of Japan (Ib~s, 1878, p. 209), with Mr. Seebohm's additions and corrections (Ibis, 1879, p. 18). · CIIAP. XVJII.] JAPAN AND FORMOSA. 369 20. Grey wagtail, sub-sp. (3-Ioiacilla melanope). 21. Grent spotted woodpecker (Picus mojo1·). 22. Great black woodpecker (D1·y-ocopus mm·tius ). 23. Cuckoo (Ouculus canonts). 24. IIoopoe ( Up1pa epops). 25. Hock-dove ( Colurnba livia). 26. Hen harrier (Circus cyctneus). 27. Gos-hawk (Astur palumban'us). 28. Sparrow-hawk (Accipite1· 11isus). 29. Hough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopu.~). 30. Golden engle (A quilacln·ysaiitos). 31. White-tailed eag-le (lJaliaetus albicilla). 32. Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). ~' 3. Hobby (F. subbuteo). 3·L Merlin (F. resalon). B5. Peregrine falcon (F. pe1·eg1·inus). 36. Greenlandfalcou (F. candicans). 37. Osprey (Pandion lwliaetus). 38. Eagle owl (Bubo maxirnus). 38. Short-eared owl (Asio accipit?·inus). 40. Long-eared ov.:l (A. otus). But these forty species by no means fairly represent the amount of resemblance between Britain and Japan as regards birds ; for there are also wrens, hedge-sparrows, gold -crests, sedgewarblers, pipits, larks, rock-thrushes, jays, and many others, which, though distjnct species from our own, have the same general appearance, and give a familiar aspect to the ornithology. There remains, however, a considerable body of Chinese ami Siberian species, which link the islands to the neighbouring p~uts of the continent; and there are also a few which are Malayan or Himalayan rather than Chinese, and thus afford us an interesting problem in distribution. The sixteen species and sub-species which are altogether peculiar to Japan are for the most part allied to birds of North China and Siberia, but three are decidedly tropical, and one of them-a fruit pigeon (T1·eron siebolcl'i)-has no close ally nearer than Java and the Himalayas. In the following list the affinities of the species are indicated wherever they have been ascertained :- LIST OF TBI£ SPECIES OF LAND BIRDS PECULIAR TO JAPAN. 1. Pa1·us japonicus. A sub-species of P. palust?'is, very like Siberian varieties. 2. Parus varius. V cry distinct. It nearest ally is in Formosa. 3. Hypsipetes amau1·osis. A tropical genus. Allied to species of S. China and India. 4. Gar1·ulusjaponicus. Allied to our European jay. In Niphon only. 5. Gan·ulus lidthi. A very distinct anu handsome species. (See lbit 1873,.-p. 47~.) li B |