368 



ISLAND LIFE. 



[part II. 



Birds. — Owing to tlie recent researches of some English resi- 

 dents we have probably a fuller knowledge of the birds than of 

 the mammalia ; yet the number of true land-birds ascertained 

 to inhabit the islands either as residents or migrants is only 

 165, which is less than might be expected considering the 

 highly favourable conditions and the extreme riches of the 

 adjacent continent, — Mr. Swinhoe's list of the birds of China 

 containing more than 400 land species, after deducting all which 

 are pecuhar to the adjacent islands. Only sixteen species, or 

 about one-tenth of the whole, are now considered to be peculiar 

 to Japan ; but even of these, five are classed by Mr. Seebohm as 

 sub-species or slightly modified forms of continental birds, so 

 that eleven only are well-marked species, undoubtedly distinct 

 from those of any other country. 



The great majority of the birds are decidedly temperate forms 

 identical with those of Northern Asia and Europe ; while no less 

 than forty of the species are also found in Britain, or are such 

 slight modifications of British species that the difference is only 

 perceptible to a trained ornithologist. The following list of the 

 birds common to Britain and Japan is very interesting, when we 

 consider that these countries are separated by the whole extent 

 of the European and Asiatic continents, or by almost exactly 

 one-fourth of the circumference of the globe : — 



Birds common to Great Britian and Japan.^ 



1. Common Creeper {Certhia /ami- 11. Swallow, sub-sp. {Hiriindo gut- 



liaris). turalis). 



2. Nuthatch {Sitta europea). 12. Sand martin (Cotyle riparia). 



3. Coal tit {Parus ater). 13. Brambling (Fringilla montifrin- 



4. Marsh tit, sub-sp. {P.japonicns). gilla). 



6. Long-tailed tit {Acredula cau- 14. Siskin (Chrysomitris sp)inus). 



data), 15. Ijesser Ted'po\e(yEgiothvslmaria). 



6. Great grey shrike {Lanius excu- 16. Tree- sparrow (Passer mow fa?iws. ) 



hitor). 17. Pine grosbeak {PyrrMla enu- 



7. Nutcracker {Nucifraga caryoca- cleator). 



tactes). 18. Reed bunting, sub-sp. {Emheriza 



8. Carrion Crow (Corvus corone). pyrrhulina). 



9. Baven {Corvus corax). 19. Snow bunting {PlectropJianes 

 10. Wax wing [Ampelis garrula). nivalis). 



1 Extracted from Messrs. Blakiston and Pryer's Catalogue of Birds of 

 Japan (Ibis, 1878, p. 209), with Mr. Seebohm's additions and corrections 

 {Ibis, 1879, p. 18). 



