Tili: i^rc'Acii.r. oi' .tavax. / 



DISTRIBUTION OF FUCACEOUS ALGM ON THE 

 COAST OF JAPAN. 



The distribution of marine alg.T along the coast of Japan 

 was first discussed by Dr. Okamt^ra'^ in 1802. The data at 

 that time wei-e l\v no means ample enough to make tlie results 

 conclusive; for our knowledge of tlie marine flora of the Kuriles 

 and of Loochoo was very scanty. Yet the paper is of great 

 value even at present and no fundamental alteration is to be 

 expected in the results. In the year 1901, at the "Minnesota 

 Seaside Station" I gave a brief sketch of the distribution of the 

 marine flora of Japan. It was luiblished in " Postelsia," No. 

 I.,-^ the year-book of that station for 1901. In it the whole 

 algal regions of Japan was briefly divided as follows : — 

 {a) Pacific side. 



1. From the Kurile Islands to Kinkwasan Island. 



2. From Kinkwasan Island to the southern end of 

 the Kiushiu Islands. 



0. From the southern end of the Kiushiu Islands to 

 Formosa. 



(/*) Japan Sea side. 



1. From Iki Island to Ojika peninsula. 



2. From Ojika Peninsula to the north. 



That the distribution of marine algre is greatly influenced by 

 prevailing ocean currents is bej'ond all doubt. To discuss the 

 algal regions of Japan, therefore, it is not unnecessary to explain 

 the prevailing ocean currents along the coast of Japan. This 

 was once done in "Postelsia," 1. c. But as the latter publication 



1) The Tokyo Botanical ^[a^^azine, Vol. VI. No. CO. pp. ÔG-GO. 1892. 



2) pp. 17iM9L'. cf. also Jîot. CVntrall)!. lid. XCI, p. 41. 190:5. 



