Insects are exceedingly numerous. both in spe cies and individuals, and include many beautiful beetles, 137 species of butterflies. and over 100 species of moths. There are several large silk moths, hut. only two are used in the silk industry. Except in the mountains the mosquito is very troublesome, and rivals the flea in persistency, but not in numbers. Flies are found everywhere. but are most numerous in the silkworm-breeding localities. Ants are mom and troublesome, and crickets. grasshoppers, and cicadas abound. Scorpions exist, hut are said to he non-poisonous.
GEoLoov )1INERAI. RESOURCES. Soon after the of the country the Government seems to have realized the desirability of exploiting its mineral resources, which were supposed to he very extensive and of great value. 'Co this end geologists and mining engineers were engaged abroad. and to them—Pumpelly, Lyman. and others—as well as to the explorations and obser vations of later geologists and travelers—Richt hofen, Milne, Naumann, Rein, and Wada—the world is indebted for its still very imperfect knowledge of the geology of Japan.
The backbone of the country consists of meta morphic rocks—gneiss, crystalline schists, serpen tine, and marble—which are discovered every where in great masses, but are best studied in Shikoku. Overlying these are thick Paleozoic strata—probably of the Silurian or Devonian formation—consisting of clay-slate, graywacke, quartzite, and limestone. The Carboniferous for mation is represented by limestone, and by the coal-measures of Yezo. The Permian seems to be entirely unrepresented in Yezo, but Rein seems to have found indications of the occurrence of the lower New Red Sandstones on the main island. Mesozoic strata of the Jurassic formation exist in while the Cretaceous formation is ex emplified by the coal-measures of Takashima. by the gray-white granular and micaceous sand stones of that vicinity, and in Yezo by certain Cretaceous clays. Tertiary and Post-Tertiary conglomerates, sandstone, elay-slate. peat, strati fied volcanic tuffs rich in coal, lignite, and fossil plants, fringe the country in many places. The oldest eruptions were of granite, which is very widespread.
Japan is not specially rich in minerals, con to the views expressed by early geologists. Iron and coal are the most plentiful; next come copper and antimony. gold, silver, lead, tin. zinc, graphite, and petroleum. The Japanese seem to have been entirely unacquainted with the useful or even the precious metals until after contact with the Chinese and the incoming of the arts, sciences, letters. and religion from China. Silver
was first discovered and worked in the year 674, copper in 69S, and ten years later, in imitation of the Chinese 'cash,' a copper coinage was in troduced, a fact commemorated in the name of the reign in which this occurred—Wa-do (`Japa nese Copper') (70S-714), Gold was discovered in 749. The lodestone had become known somewhat earlier—in 713.
Coal is found in many places, from Formosa to Yezo. The best is that of Takashima (where the seams are 14 feet thick and extend under the sea). Karatsu. Miike, and other places in the island of Kiushiu; at Kelung (q.v.) in Formosa; and at Poronai in Yezo. In 1599 the output (ex clusive of that of Formosa) was 6,721.798 tons. As already indicated, most of it belongs to the Tertiary formations. Iron is found chiefly as magnetic iron ore, the chief ore of the Japanese iron industry, and, as iron-sand, exists in nearly all the provinces. In 1899 the production amounted to 50,930,553 pounds. Copper seems to have been plentiful from the very first. It is said that from 1609 to 1S5S no less than 533, 332,000 pounds were exported by the Dutch. The product in 1899 amounted to 53,601,019 pounds. Three silver ores are found, besides galena. The first discovery of silver was on the island of Tsu shima, half-way between Kiushiu and Korea. It is now worked in many places in Shikoku. and in Hondo from Settsu to Mutsu in the north. In 1899 the product amounted to 1,808,944 ounces.
Gold exists chiefly (1) in the alluvial sands and gravels of Osumi, in Kiushiu, and at several places in Yezo: and (2) in auriferous quartz in Satsuma, Koshin, Rikuchiu in Hondo, and at Aikawa, on the island of Sado, in the Sea of Japan. In 1889 the total product was 53.951 ounces. Several gold-mines are also worked near Kelung, in Formosa. The other mineral products are, per annum: Lead. 1023 tons; antimony, 1097 tons; tin, 63 tons; manganese, 10,561 tons; ar senic, 34,770 pounds: mercury, 7140 pounds; sul phur, 22.603,1)8(3 pounds; iron pyrites, 18.49:3,678 pounds; and graphite, 520 tons. The sulphur supply is practically inexhaustible. Petroleum is obtained at Nagaoka and many other places, hut the output is far from being enough to supply the needs of the country. In 1899 it amounted to 18,844,239 gallons. It is interesting to note that petroleum was discovered by the Japanese in the Province of Etchig.o as early as 668. _Marble, granite, and other building-stones exist in different parts of the country, but are at present little used in building.