i86 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



pulses, and unlike many men whose im- 

 plses are good, he was active in good works, 

 and never wearied of labor in the interest of 

 his fellow man. He was one of the most 

 modest and unassuming of men, so much 

 so that if that had been possible his name 

 never would have been known in connection 

 with the beneficent acts with which his life 

 was filled. Yet with all the modesty and 

 self-effacement of his nature, with all the 

 gentleness and wide human sympathy by 

 which he was animated, he was a man of 

 rugged strength of character and indomit- 

 able perseverance. When he put his hand 

 to an undertaking he never looked back. 



CORRESPONDING MEMBER NO 2006 OF 



THE AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION, AT 



KYOTO, JAPAN. 



THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF YOICHIRO HIRASE 

 I was born at home in a town called 

 Fukura, Awaji province, in September, 1859. 

 During my boyhood I attended a primary 

 school of that town, and after finishing the 

 whole course, I studied about a few subjects 

 under two or three private teachers. In 

 1883, I was married with Miss Yasuko Kashu 

 and directly took charge of the business 

 and agriculture, which were the occupa- 

 tion of my ancestors. In 1888. I removed 

 with my family to the city of Kyoto, and 

 occupied a house at the corner of the 

 street called Shimo-chojamachi and Karasu- 

 maru. I put down the old building, re- 

 built there a new one according to my 

 own taste, and I still live in that same 

 house. Immediately after my remov- 

 al I have become a member of the "Kayato 

 Haskubutsukwai" — an association of men 

 who are interested in natural science — for 

 I am by nature fond of natural history. 

 Afterwards they recommended me to a po- 

 sition of secretary and I am still in connec- 

 tion with it in the same post. When I was 

 a little advanced in my knowledge of the 

 natural science, I was acquainted with Mr. 

 Marshal Gaines, an American professor of 

 natural science in Doshisha University. 

 By his influence I decided to study shells. 

 Indeed it was just sixteen years ago when 

 I began to collect Japanese shells. Dr. 

 John Gulick was the second man whose in- 

 fluence was also great. Influenced by these 

 scholars, I gave up everything except the 

 study of shells. At that time everything 

 was new to me. I had no experience in 

 this work. I knew nothing about the shells. 

 Where are they living? How shall I col- 

 lect and when? How shall I make speci- 



He achieved his ends by perseverance and 

 by a singular power of arousing the sym- 

 pathy and good will of others whose aid was 

 needful. 



He was active in every movement that 

 had for its object the promotion of the 

 prosperity and happiness of the people. 

 To enumerate the occasions upon which his 

 public spirit and philanthropic impulses 

 have manifested themselves during his long 

 life in this community, would be impossible 

 at this time. His example will long re- 

 main in the minds of our people as an in- 

 spiration to good deeds. 



S 0CIA? I0N 



mens? I knew nothing of these matters; 

 had nobody to inquire of, and no book to 

 see. I was then almost in confusion about 

 what to do. 



Happily at that time from thousands of 

 miles away. Dr. H. A. Pilsbry of Phila- 

 delphia, and many other conchologists of 

 Europe and America helped and led me 

 to the right direction of the study, and my 

 work began to progress by and by. I often 

 tried myself to go out for collecting, but it 

 is impossible for me to go all over the 

 country by myself, though I did sometimes! 



For the purpose of collecting shells from 

 four directions, I published a pamphlet 

 called "Guide to Shell Collectors" and dis- 

 tributed them to the natives of different 

 provinces. I suppose that I might receive 

 from them many interesting species. The 

 result, however, was not satisfactory as I 

 first expected. Then I sent several assis- 

 tants. They had to teach the natives the 

 way and benefit of collecting shells, as well 

 as they collected themselves. The natives 

 understood the interest of collecting very 

 well, and even after my assistant left 

 them, I have fresh supply from time to 

 time from over fifty collectors in differ- 

 ent provinces. Thus my exploration 

 has extended from Hokkaido in the 

 north to Formosa in the south, with- 

 out giving up even very small islands, 

 which are like specks in the ocean, and also 

 very dangerous valleys amid the shaggy 

 mountains cannot escape from the keen 

 eyed collectors. Last year I extended my 

 search in China and Korea. My further 

 plan is to extend the range of my observa- 

 tion to all over Asia for the comparative 

 study with Japanese mollusks. The spe- 

 cies I have collected until to-day reached 

 over three thousand. Among them new 

 species and subspecies founded by myself 

 and under my care are above one thousand. 



