ISLAND LIFE. 
[part II. 
368 
Birds . — Owing to the 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 peculiar 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 
1. Common Creeper ( Certhia fami - 11. Swallow, sub-sp. (Hirundo gut- 
liaris). turalis). 
2. Nuthatch (Sitta europea). 12. Sand martin ( Cotyle riparia). 
3. Coal tit ( Parus ater ). 13. Brambling (F ring ilia montifrin- 
4. Marsh tit, sub-sp. ( P.japonicus ). gilla). 
5. Long-tailed tit ( Acredula cau- 14. Siskin (Chrysomitris spinvs). 
data). 15. Lesser red'po\e(AEgiothvs linaria). 
6. Great grey shrike ( Lanius excu- 16. Tree-sparrow (Passer monlanus.) 
bitor). 17. Pine grosbeak (Pyrrhula enu- 
7. Nutcracker ( Nucifraga caryoca- cleator). 
tactes). 18. Reed bunting, sub-sp. ( Emberiza 
8. Carrion Crow ( Corvus corone). pyrrhulina). 
9. Raven ( Corvus corax). 19. Snow bunting ( Pleciropltanes 
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). 
