216 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



powdered, calcined bones a valuable medicine. ... It is not deemed 

 destructive to poultry. The natives employ its skin to make bellows, 

 and also to decorate their drums and for winter head-gear." (Mi- 

 vart, 1890, p. 135.) 



Possibly Ognev refers to its former rather than to its present 

 status when he writes (1931, p. 369) that it is widely distributed in 

 Japan and particularly common on Hondo (Honshiu) Island. 



In the open season extending from October 15, 1929, to April 15, 

 1930, 15,218 of these animals were taken in Japan (Uchida, 1935, 

 p. 8.) 



FIG. 22. Japanese Raccoon-dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus} 



"Muko-jima, a small island in the Inland Sea on the coast of 

 Yamaguchi Prefecture, is famous as a sanctuary for the raccoon dog 

 .... In feudal times it was abundant throughout this country. 

 Owing to indiscriminate hunting it became extremely scarce." (Ka- 

 buraki, 1934, pp. 4183-4184.) 



Uchida writes (1935, p. 25) that the animal is gradually becoming 

 scarce in Japan, since its fur is highly valued and a large number 

 of skins are exported annually. Mukojima is inhabited by innumer- 

 able individuals. It is supposed that persecution on the Japanese 

 mainland gradually forced them to migrate to the island, where 

 they found a safe breeding place and an abundance of fish for food. 



[Concerning the several mainland representatives of this species, 

 Arthur de C. Sowerby writes (in litt., April 24, 1937) : 



"There are now several subspecies of the raccoon-dog recognized in 

 China and neighbouring regions, namely, Nyctereutes procyonoides 



