650 GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES I\ MALAYSIA AND ASIA. 



as it does throughout the whole of the East. I have more than 

 once had unpleasant experience of the fact that these animals^ 

 pas.sing over bottles even \vith metal capsules, will impart a musky 

 flavour to the contents. A badger {Meles chinensis, Gray), common 

 enough in China, has been found in the island, as well as the pale 

 red Chinese fox [Vulpes Ivoole). The Siberian red stoat (PiUorius 

 sibi'ricus), is a great enemy of the henwife in some villages. A 

 civet (Vivera zibetha, Linn.), and a squirrel (Scmnis castanoventris, 

 Gray), l)oth widely-spread species, occur on the island, besides rats 

 and mice. The wild boar [Sus leucomi/stax, Temm. and Schl.), 

 affords occasional sport as it does throughout Japan and Central 

 China. There is some talk about a deer {Cervulus reevesii, Ogil,). 



Geology. — The island of Hong Kong mainly consists of granite; 

 but there are places where the mica is replaced by hornblende and 

 various changes are undergone by the micas and felspars. In fact 

 it is a most varied rock, besides being penetrated by por|)hyritic 

 dykes, as well as some of very recent basaltic trap. Excellent 

 instances of the latter can be seen at Quarry Bay. The gi'anite 

 is also somewhat rich in molybdenum. On the shores all round 

 the island excellent sections can be seen, especially from West 

 Point to the north of Stanley, whei'e there are outcrops of granites 

 and metamorphic rocks. At Pok-fa-lum, at the reservoir, the 

 granite assumes a porphyritic character, of dark colour. A 

 similar outcrop is noticed at Deep Bay. Limestone is found in 

 small quantities with large deposits of kaolin, derived from the 

 disintegration of granite rocks. The geology of the island has, 

 however, been well studied, and needs no further notice here. 



This concludes my observations on the first part of my travels. 

 In a subsequent portion I shall deal with the Philippine Islands, 

 and some other parts of the south Chinese coast with its depen- 

 dent islands. 



