A BRIEF HISTORY OF BOTANY IN OID JAPAN 221 



to be completed in 100 volumes ; but the great iire of 1806 in Yedo 

 burnt to ashes the woodcuts* of the already published portion, and also 

 the manuscript of the following volumes and the enterprise ceased to 

 be continued. This work was chiefly written by So Senshun. He was 

 also a great naturalist and wrote many books on natural history, among 

 which a commentary on the Pents'ao Kamniu in 20 volumes, descrip- 

 tions of fishes in 2 volumes, of molluscs in 2 volumes, of fungi in 1 

 volume, on plants of Yezo in 1 volume, on orchids in 1 volume, on 

 plants and animals of Japanese history in 12 volumes, are worthy of 

 notice. 



In 1794, the lord of Kii established a bureau for natural i)roducts 

 research in Wakayama and trusted the conduct of it to Ohara Gen- 

 zaburo, a pupil of Ono Eanzan. Ohara wrote a miscellany of natural 

 history entitled To to ihitsu in 9 volumes j^ublished in 1833, and 

 Kishu son hutsu 7w, or treatise on the natural products of the province 

 of Kishu. He was succeeded by Kuroda Suizan who was born in 1792 

 and died in 1859. The latter wrote many useful books, among which 

 may be mentioned : Ancient names of natural products in 85 volumes, 

 Natural proclncts of Kumcmo in 8 volumes. Natural products of 

 Koyasan, in 2 volumes, Kinan rol-u gunshi in 8 volumes, Ncdnral 

 products of Yosliino in 2 volumes, a treatise on fishes and molluscs in 2 

 volumes. In 1800 a bureau for natural i)roducts research was established 

 in Mito, and Sato Seiyo worked as naturalist in that bureau. In 1808, 

 he wrote a book on cage birds in 20 volumes. In 1830, he wrote the 

 San hai Slio hin, or products of mountains and seas in 100 volumes 

 by the order of the lord of Mito. 



In 1757, a private exhibition of natural products, called in 

 Japanese Butsu Son Kiooi or Yoku hin Kwai or drug exhibi- 

 tion, was for the first time held at Yushima in Yedo by Tamura 

 Eansui. This was a kind of conversazione of naturalists in 

 which each person brings some specimen or specimens of natural 

 objects to exhibit and also to discuss whether the nomenclature of the 

 objects is correct or not. In 1758, it was held at Kanda under the 

 ausi)ices of the same man. In 1759, it was held in Yushima by Hiraga 

 Gennai. In 1760, it was held at Ichigaya in Yedo by Matsuda Chogen. 

 In the same year a meeting was held in Osaka by Toda Kyokuzan ; 

 the record of that exhibition was published under the title Bicn Kioai 

 Boliu ; the number of specimens exhibited on this occasion amounted 

 to 241 and the members assembled 100. In 1761, it was held at 



