220 Mr. II. ^V. Bates on the 
traversed In passing from the one to the other does not 
exceed thirty miles, or a little wider than the Straits of 
Dover. Moreover, the sea is shallow, the maximnm depth 
being about 70 fathoms, so that an elevation of say 500 
feet, — which may Avell have taken place during the life- 
time of existing s]iecies, — would convert the Archipelago 
into a peninsula of Asia. The islands, therefore, are not 
geographically oceanic, and we can scarcely expect a great 
degree of endemicity, such as is fo^^nd in the Canaries, 
Madagascar, and other oceanic or suboceanic islands Avhose 
Faima is not wholly modern and derivative. However, the 
number of Geodephagous genera peculiar to Japan, in- 
cluding that strangest of all, Damastcr, is no less than 
nine, — a large proportion out of eighty-four. I am in- 
clined to think that this proportion will not be very much 
reduced by future discoveries; although Korea is unknoAvn, 
we' are tolerably well acquainted Avith the Geodephagous 
Fauna of the Amur a little farther north, and with that of 
the coast region of the temperate zone of China to the 
cast, Avhere also jNIr. Lewis made a most interesting collec- 
tion ; CarahidcB, moreover, have been collected to some 
extent in the coast country of jNIanchuria, adjoining Korea, 
and in the island of Saghalien, which almost connects the 
north of Japan with the north-eastern mainland of Asia. 
Next, as to the relations of the Japanese Fauna with 
that of the great Northern or Pala?arctic Fauna of Europe 
and Asia. liussian Entomologists, wdio have Avorked 
assiduously at the Coleo])terous Fauna of Siberia, have 
repeatedly noticed its uniformity with that of Europe, — 
even Western Europe, — the similarity decreasing pretty 
regularly, but, according to them, not very considerably in 
proceeding from Avest to east. They have also remarked 
on the essential identity of the Japanese Avith this great 
Palrearctie Fauna. INIr. LcAvis himself, as he informs me, 
Avas much struck Avitli the similarity of Japanese Coleoptcra 
Avith those of Great liritain. Let us see hoAA' far these 
vicAvs are confirmed by close examination of the distribu- 
tion of the genei"a of Geodepliaf/a. ^^'ith regard to species, 
the number common to Japan and AVestern Europe is 
very limited. 
A fair comparison betAA^en Japan and Western Europe 
cannot aa'cII be made, for there is no tract of land in the 
West analogous to Jajian in geographical position. Great 
1 Britain is not at all a close analogy, as the aaIioIc of it lies 
I'ar to the north of the latitude of the Japanese Archipelago, 
