THE NATURAL HISTORY OF CHINA 17 



more common, live specimens being frequently exhibited in 

 collections in Europe and America. 



Fishes. 



The subject of the fish, marine and fresh -water, of 



China is one of extreme interest and importance. Its im- 



■ anor lies in the fact that the Chinese depend so largely 



upon fish to supply them with the necessary animal matter 



in their Of c<aiise the Chinese are not unique in this, 



but owing to the numerous fine water ways and large lakes 



thai the countrj contains and her immense sea-bord, with 



a resultanl magnificent supply of fish food at hand, they 



ha\< fish -eaters, in places to- the exclusion almost 



er kind of animal food. Thus the fishing industry 



lit? v is of great importance, which in turn means 



thai knowledge of her finny inhabitants is vital 



to the future welfare of her people. As a matter of fact 



the fid China are rather well known, though it is 



that there arc many new discoveries to be made in 



branch i f the country's zoology. 



The marine fish of China, that is to say, those occurring 

 in the ( bins closely related to those of Japan, 



which means thai thej arc well known, for the Japanese 

 and \, Qtistfi have made a very thorough study 



t. Many i i the forme that are taken in China 

 wide distribution, others very local. The 

 herring family is represented by a number of 

 but ery important group. The same 



the Oadidae, or cod family, and the 

 flat fishes, families that are very im- 

 Ekiropean and North American fisheries. The 

 oform to the general characteristics 

 j UC h a- i maigres, rock-fishes, sea- 



the like, are of the utmost importance. One 

 uld be specially mentioned is the hair-tail 

 the long, silvery, ribbon-like fish that one 

 jucntl ile. either in the dried form or fresh, 



is taken Borne little distance out at sea, ap- 

 Dumbere, and is a great favourite with the 

 . works northward along the east coast ot 

 uds that oi the Primorek and the Okhotsk Sea the 

 ama und. a profound change in its com- 



m. Flat I gadoids, or cods and their 



the important elements, while there is a 

 mbers of such groups as the 



