Flora and Finns, It is true, to a certain extent, that Japan is poor in land flora and fauna, as it consists of groups of islands sepa rated from the continent. The empire, how ever, extends from the tropical nearly to the frigid zone, and approaches the continent so closely at several points, that the species of the Asiatic continent are apt to be introduced very easily into the nearest islands. Consequent ly, the islands are comparatively rich in num ber of species, which closely resemble those of the continent.
whole island of Taiwan is practically tropical in nature, with luxuriant vegetation, as the name uFormosaa implies. Of the plants growing on the plains, the betel nut palm (Areca catechu), the banyans (Ficus retusa and F. wightiana), the Pandanus (P. odoratissima), the bamboo, and the tree-fern (Cyathea spinulosa) are the principal ones. The most important of the cultivated plants are rice, sugarcane, the tea plant, the sweet potato and the ananus. The camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora), the king of the Formosan forest, grows in woods on some what elevated ground, attaining 10 feet in di ameter and 130-160 feet in height.
Kyushu, Shikoku, and a quarter of Honshu, south of the parallel 35° N., present some semi tropical features, with several species of the oaks (Quercus glauca, Q. myrsinaefolia, etc.) and the pines (Finns Thunbergii and P. densi flora). The stately growth of the woods of P. Thumbergii on the sand dunes gives magnifi cent scenery everywhere along the shores of this region. The tea plant and the wax tree (Rhus saccedanea) are extensively cultivated.
In that part of Honshu which is north of the parallel 35° N., there are found the forest trees of the temperate zones. The beech (Fagus sylvatica), aOnarap (Quercus grosseserrata), and the horse-chestnut (Aesculus turbinata) abound, often found with such species of coni fers, as uhiriolc? (Chamacyparis obutosa), °sawarao (Ch. pisifera), the arbor vita (Thujopsis dolabrata), asugis (Cryptomeria japonica), and the fir-tree (Abies firma). The mulberry tree and the lacquer tree (Rhus verni cifera) are planted abundantly. Here is found also the Ginkgo tree, a primitive conifer, in digenous to Japan, Korea and China.
These three central islands with their semi tropical and temperate characteristics are the most thickly populated and most thoroughly cultivated of the whole country; so the plains and valleys are mostly covered with fields of rice and barley.
Hokkaido and Karafuto may be grouped together as belonging to the subarctic zone. In this zone, the air (Abies sachalinensis), the spruce (Picea ajanensis), and the larch (Lai-ix leptolepis), are the chief trees in the forests. The birches (Betula), the alders (Alnus), and the poplars (Poplus) are found with these in some places. Thus, the general features are very much like those of Siberia or the north ern part of North America.
In Taiwan and the central Honshu, where great elevations occur, vertical zones of flora may be traced, which very nearly coincide with the horizontal zones just mentioned, although the same species are not always represented in the proper zones.
It may be .assumed that the coasts of the Sea of Japan are generally poor in the marine flora, while the coasts of the Pacific are rich in the number of species as well as of indi viduals. On the southern Pacific side, where Kuroshiwo or the Japanese current passes close to the shore, many species of the red alga;, Sargassum and Ecklonia adorn the submarine rocks and cliffs; while on the northern Pacific coast, which the cold currents wash, Laminaria and Alaria grow abundantly. Alaria fistulosa nearly 300 feet in length is not rare.
Fauna.— The land animals of Taiwan are also semi-tropical. Among the mammals, the pangolin (Mavis dalmani), with its relatives in India and Africa, is well known; the black bear (Ursus formosanus), the wild boar (Sus tai vanis), and the deer (Cervus Swinhonii) belong to species different from those of the central Japan. Out of about 200 species of birds known in this island, fours fifths are similar to those of India and China, while one-half are similar to those of Japan proper. The most useful domestic animal is the bison (Bos chin ensis), which is used for plowing and also sup plies meat, hides and horns to the natives. Swine are bred everywhere in the islands as also in China.
Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu may be grouped in one faunal zone; for there is scarcely any marked line to divide them into two zones, as in the case of plants. Most of the important groups or families of animals of the temperate continent are likely to be found in this region. Among the mammals,. the hares (Lepus brachy urus and L variabilis), the wild boar (Sus leucomystax), the deer (Cervus sika), the fox (Canis japonica), atanulcio (C. procyonoides), the otter (Lutra vulgaris), (Putorius itatsi), and the bear (Ursus japomcus) are the principal ones. Of the birds, wild ducks (Anas), the pheasant (Phasianus versicolor), and the snipes (Scolopax) attract sportsmen. The bush warbler (Cettia cantans), and the white eye (Zosterops japonica) are common caged birds. The long-tailed fowl of the prov ince of Tosa in Shikoku deserves notice. The most remarkable facts concerning the fauna of Japan are that the monkey (Trams specio sus) lives far north at Aomori (41° N.), and the giant salamander (Megalobatrachus maxi mus) survives in the mountain streams of the western Honshu. It is also an interesting fact that the wild cat and the Chinese ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus torquatus) are found in the island of Tsushima, which is considered to be a stepping stone between the continent and central Japan in the migration of animals. Of domestic animals, horses and cattle are most common. The small silkworm (Bombyx mori) is most important economically.