ON THE FAUNA OF JAPAN. 131 



bouring shores of the ishmds of Boniu, Loochoo, and Formosa, where 

 we fiad forms which are almost or quite identical with those met with 

 about the islands of Java, Celebes, Borneo, etc. 



Exclusive of the hair seal (ZalopJius lobafus), occasionally appear- 

 ing in this zone, there can be seen a few species of whalebone whales 

 and toothed whales. Of tlie former the humpback whale {Megaptera 

 nodosa) is one of the most important and of wide distribution, being 

 found in the waters around the Empire. It makes its way to high 

 northerly latitudes in summer, and migrates to the south of Formosa 

 in winter. Airiongst toothed whales we find the sperm-whale (Physeter 

 macroceplwlus) which is very wide in distribution and swims in schools 

 in all tropical and subtropical waters. About our country it migrates 

 along the Kuro-shiwo. Off Kinkwasan is specially famous for great 

 catches of this whale. Frequenting the southern waters are also found 

 such toothed whales as Phocaena pliocaena, Neophocaena phocaenoides, 

 Delphinus delpMs, Orcinns orca, etc. The last, the killer whale which 

 feeds on fishes and other warm-blooded forms like seals extends often- 

 times to as far north as off Yetorup. Besides, worthy of notice is the 

 appearance of the HoJicore dugong in the waters around the Loochoo 

 group. It abounds especially near the Sakisliima islands. 



Extensively spread over this zone are some species of reptiles, such 

 as Lcdicauda laticcmdrda, L. cohihrina, EmydocepTialus ijimae, Dis- 

 teira melanocepliala, etc., most of them being found not to range over 

 to the middle zone. 



Of fishes we find a number of forms which are of great economic 

 importance. Of scombroid fishes, such forms as Bastrelliger chrysozomiR, 

 GramvKdorcynus hiUneatus, and Gymnosarda nuda which inhabit the 

 tropical seas have their range to Loochoo ; AcoMtliocyhinm solandri and 

 Eidhynnns yaito are spread, on the Pacific side, into the middle zone ; 

 and Kcdsmuonns peJamis is of very wide distribution, ranging from 

 Formosa to Hokkaido, on the Pacific side, and to middle Honshu, on 

 the Japan ^ea side, though very few in number. Cyhium cMnense 

 and Sorda orientoMs ai-e rather abundant about Kyushu, but they are 

 found in nortliern Honshu, both off the Pacific and the Japan Sea 

 coast. Of other impoitant fishes, Pagrosomiis major, Evynnis cardina- 

 lis and Taius tumifrons are distributed from Formosa to middle 

 Honshu. Besides, some forms like Emholichthys mitsidcurii, UaUcJioe- 

 res opercidaris, Ohaetodon setifer, Oh., vagahimdus, and others are 

 found to extend to, or about southern Kyushu ; Kujdia marginata 



