Dr. Cantor on the Flora and Fauna of Chusan. 1 7 



have been taken through the medium of ^'^ single lens and 

 210 linear compound. 



The few forms I have added as " dubia" arc those to which 

 I have found none corresponding among Ehrcnberg's. To 

 G. W. Grant, Esq., an indefatigable microscopical observer, 

 who has kindly examined my sketches and notes of Chinese 

 animalcules, I am indebted for the following list of forms de- 

 scribed by M. Ehreuberg, which he has recognised as also 

 occurring in fresh water in and near Calcutta : — 



Sphserosira vol vox. Na^^cula fulva. 



Closterium turgidum. turgida. 



Euglena longicauda. Vorticella patellina. 



Epipyxis utriculus ? Coleps hirtus. 



Arcelina aculeata. Lepadella emarginata. 



Arthrodesmus quadricaudatus. Brachionus urceolaris. 



Micrasterias hexagona. 



From what has been stated, it will appear that Indian forms 

 (to which may be added a few Javanese) prevail in the fauna 

 of Chusan, and that European forms make but a secondary 

 feature. The climate of Chusan, as before observed, being 

 that of the nearest continent, it may be inferred that Indian 

 forms occur in central China (in those parts of course which, 

 ccpteris paribus, correspond with Chusan), the longitude of 

 which is less easterly, at least up to the 30th degree north, or 

 the latitude of that island. As the annual mean temperature 

 of Chusan is considerably below that of tropical countries, 

 it follows, that certain forms, and these among the lower 

 classes of animals, which hitherto have been considered pecu- 

 liar only to a tropical climate, are able to exist under a much 

 lower temperature, and thus possess a much less limited geo- 

 graphical range. In what exact latitude and longitude Euro- 

 pean forms commence, is, in the present state of our know- 

 ledge of the physical condition of China, impossible to de- 

 termine. 



The following ably drawn up paper, which appeared in the 

 ' Chinese Repository,' vol. iii., will serve to give a precise idea 

 of the attention paid by Europeans to the natural history of 

 China, from the days of the Jesuits up to the time of its pub- 

 lication (1834). It contains matter of general interest to na- 

 turalists, and may prove useful to those, who we may hope 

 will ere long be enabled to engage in active investigations in 

 that empire. " The Jesuits were the first Europeans, except 

 Marco Polo, who made any investigation in this field. For 

 nearly two centuries these men resided in China, and in the 

 course of their attempts to establish themselves here, they 

 travelled extensively throughout all the provinces. During 



