NOTES ON JAPANESE EARTHQUAKES. 437 



maximum in 1896 was the absolutely greatest in the time interval 

 under consideration, the seismic frequency at the present time 

 being probably on its way to a minimum. When looked at 

 generally there seems to exist a period of long duration, the 

 frequency, in the mean, increasing during the 23 years from 

 1878 to the present time. 



December, 1898. Seismological Institute, 



Tokyo. 



