ON THE FAUNA OF JAPAN. 109 



Tlie birds wliicli liave been observed at the islands are nuich less 

 in number than those of Hokkaido and a23i^arently less peculiar, the 

 following four being supposed to be characteristic : Lagopus riMtus 

 kurihnsis, HemicheUdon griseisticta liahereri, Troglodytes troglodytes 

 Jcurilensis, and Pyrrhula fyrrlnda Tiurilensis. Exclusive of the second 

 species which inhabits Yetorup, they are found to range over the two 

 northern subgroups. The great majority of the species which are 

 known from the southern subgroup may be supposed to represent 

 migrants from Hokkaido. The woodpeckers seem to offer a good 

 example. Of these found in Hokkaido, Dryohates major tscliersldi, 

 D. major japonicus, Yungipicus Idznhi seebohmi, and Dryocopiis martins 

 silvifragtis are known to exten<l northwards uj) to Urup but not beyond. 



This similarity is also true of reptiles and amphibians, which are 

 represented by only a few species, such as Geld-o japonicus ?, Elaplie 

 quadrivirgata, E. climacopJiora, Rana^ temporaria, etc. They appear 

 to have a very limited area of distribution, being observed only on 

 the southern islands. 



Yery little is known of the freshwater fishes, of which the most 

 common are Gasterosteus aculeatus, Pygosteus sinensis, etc. Some 

 interest attaches to the occurrence of Oncorhynchus ncrJw, 0. hisntch, 

 and SaJvelinus malma, the first becoming fewer and fewer as we 

 proceed towards Hokkaido. 



As may be evident from the above, there is a radical difference 

 between the subgroups of islands not very far removed from each 

 other. Beyond doubt, the northern subgroup belongs zoologically to 

 Kamchatka, and the southern to Hokkaido. Notwithstanding its 

 resemblance to the northern, the middle subgroup is still uncertain, 

 because of the introduction of some animal forms by human agency. 



Saghalien. — It has long been contended that Saghalien was 

 geologically until recent time a peninsula connected with Amurland ; 

 it is still separated from its parent land T)y an extremely shallow 

 water. There can be no doubt whatever that the island possesses 

 land animals in large proportion identical with those of Amurland. 

 Of about 30 species of mammals at present known from the island, 

 13 are identical with those of Amurland ; of the 13 the following 

 species remain, without making their way to Hokkaido : Evotomys 

 amnrensis am^irensis, Ursus orctos coUaris, Lynx lynx, Gulo gulo, 

 Rangiftr sp., Mosclius moschiferns moschi/erns, etc. Of the remaining 

 species, the majority, though decidedly of a Eurasian character. 



