Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 13.djvu/604

576 JAPAN [GEOGKAPHY. Birds. Japan by the cormorant, the crane (Grus Icncauchen,, Jap. Tan-chiyati, is the national crane), wild goose (at least eight species), swan (Ct/ynus musicus), mallard, widgeon, teal (four species, including falcated teal or Yoshi-gamo), pheasant, woodcock, wood -pigeon, plover, and snipe. There are also found the bittern, the heron, and the white wader, commonly known as the "paddy-bird." Prior to 1868 there existed very stringent laws prohibiting the ordinary Japanese from shooting or snaring the crane, goose, or swan. One species of bittern was even deemed worthy of a special rank of nobility, and is to this day known as the go-i sayi, or "bittern of the fifth grade," a quaint conceit, reminding us of the well-known jest of Henry VIII. in knighting the loin of beef. Many varieties of domestic fowls exist, the tiny bantam being one of the most cele brated ; there is also a large game-cock said to have been originally imported from Siam. Flocks of tame pigeons are to be seen in nearly every farm-yard. The lark, swallow, and common sparrow are as numerous as in England. One of the most beautiful birds is the drake of the species generally called the " mandarin-duck " (Aix yalericulata, Jap. Oshi-dori), found on small streams in country districts. When in full plumage this drake pre sents an exquisite combination of bright colours, and two broad feathers, of a deep golden tint and shaped like a fan, stand erect above the back from under the wings. The Pishes. Japanese fisheries are marvellously productive, and afford occupation to the inhabitants of the countless villages along the coasts. Herrings are caught off the island of Yezo, and the bonito, cod, sole, crab, and lobster are found in great plenty on nearly every part of the coast. In some of the rivers in Yezo, and also in the Tondgawa, fair-sized salmon are caught ; and there is also a fish very much resembling the trout. The tai, a large fish of the carp species, is esteemed a special delicacy : of this there are two varieties, the red tai, caught in rivers with sandy beds, and the black tai, found at the mouths of streams where the darker soil of the sea bed commences. Eels, small carp, and fish of many other kinds are freely taken in nearly all the minor lakes and streams. The oyster is found iu considerable quantities in the shallows at the head of the Bay of Yedo and elsewhere. To any student of zoology a visit to Japan would prove in the highest degree interesting. 1 Communication. The means of transport, although not exceptionally good, have yet improved considerably during speciosus), nor the boar (Sus leucomystax) have crossed into Yezo. Heralda ylacialis, Tef rates bonasia, Picus minor, Dryocopus martins, Corvus corax, Ampelis garrula, Acredula caudata, Leucosticte brun- neinucfia, Gecinus canus, Garrulus Rrandti, are apparently confined to Yezo, while Ldbivanellus inornatits, Phasianus wreicolor&TaA. Phasianus Soemmeringii (the two species of pheasant peculiar to the country), Gecinus awokira, Cyanopica cyanus, Garrulus japonicus, Acredula tri dryata, are not found north of Tsugaru Straits. One species of cuckoo (ffierococcyx fugax, Horsf. ) is supposed to portend earth quakes, its cry resembling the Jap. jishin, earthquake. Among favourite cage-birds are Zosterops japonica (Jap. Menro} ; Parus varius (Jap. Yama-yara) ; the Japanese nightingale, Cettia cantans (.Jap. Uguhisu) ; the thrush, Turdus cxdis (Jap. Kuro tsuyu) ; and Ember iza sulphurata, the bunting. The robin, the most expensive bird sold by the dealers, seems to be imported from Corea. Compare Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, and papers by Blakiston, H. Whitely, and Swinhoe, in Ibis, 1862, 1867, 1874, and 1877. 1 A. R. Wallace has devoted a chapter of his Island Life to the treatment of Japan and Formosa. He points out that 40 species of mammals are known to exist in Japan, and that 26 of these are peculiar; whereas of the 165 land-birds already registered only 16 species are peculiar. He gives a list of 40 species of birds which are common to Great Britain and Japan, and adds that it does not sufficiently indi cate the resemblance, as there are many birds which, though distinct species from the British, have the same general appearance. Bleeker, the great Dutch naturalist, has Rijdr. tot de kennisderichthyol. fauna van Japan (Amsterdam and Batavia, 1854, &c. ), and "Enumeration des especes de poissons actuellement connus du Japon," in Verhandl. der Kon. Akad. i Wet. (Amsterdam, 1879). See also Adams s Travels of a Naturalist in Japan and Manchuria (London, 1870). the past few years. There are but two lines of railway 1! in Japan, both very short. The first (opened to traffic in 1872) runs from Tukio to Yokohama, and is but 18 miles in length. Shortly afterwards a line of about the same length was completed between the port of Hiogo end the city of Ozaka, and this line was in 1877 extended from the latter place to the city of Kioto, the opening ceremony taking place on the 5th of February in that year. Both these lines were opened by the emperor in person. Surveying operations have been going on for some years, with a view to the construction of other railways, and in some districts the direction of future lines has already been staked out. Mention has been already made of the great facilities for transport afforded by the network of small streams throughout the country. The system of K roads, too, is very fair, although in remote districts the work of supervision and repair is not done so carefully as is really necessary. Of the highways the Tokaido is that best known to foreigners. This is nearly 307 miles in length, and connects Kioto and Tokio. Its course lies along the south-eastern coast of the main island, and it is the only road in the country which is named after the circuit that it traverses. Dr Kaempfer, one of the early residents in the Dutch factory at Nagasaki, gives in his well-known History of Japan a graphic and entertaining account of his journey from Nagasaki to Yedo in 1691, part of which he made by the Tokaido. One of the most remarkable works recently completed by Japanese labour, without aid from foreign engineers, is a tunnel on this road. It is situated about 6 miles to the westward of the large town of Shidzuoka, and about 106 miles west of Tokio. The tunnel is cut through a high ridge of hills intersect ing the Tokaido. The old line of road passed over the summit of the ridge, but this engineering work renders the journey far shorter and easier. A good roadway, some 18 feet in breadth, leads up the ridge on either side, in a zigzag direction, so as to admit of wheeled vehicles pass ing along it with perfect safety ; and the tunnel runs through the centre of the hill, thus connecting the two roadways. The passage is about 200 yards in length ; at the eastern end it is faced with stone, then the roof i* supported by timber arches for some distance; a smaJi portion is next hewn out of a stratum of solid rock ; and finally the timber arches are again continued as far as the western extremity. The breadth throughout is about 12 feet, and the height about 10 feet. As the tunnel runs in a curved line, owing to the formation of the hill, and is thus very dark, lamps are placed in it at intervals ; while at each end are fixed in the ground several posts, each sur mounted by a brightly polished oblong plate of tin, to reflect the rays of the sun into the interior. This important work was commenced in 1873, but was not completed until March 1876. Another road between Kioto and Tokio is the Nakasendo, also called the Kiso-kaido ; this runs through the heart of the country, to the north of the Tokaido, and is a little over 323 miles in length. Some of the hill scenery on the western half of this road is exceptionally grand ; the elevation in many parts is so great that in winter the roadway is much obstructed by snow. The longest high road in Japan is the Oshiu-kaido, running northward from Tokio to Awornori on the Tsugaru Straits. It tra verses the provinces of Musashi, Shimotsuke, Iwashiro, Pikuzen, Rikuchiu, and Michinoku, and its length is given at nearly 444 miles. Two roads from Tokio to Niigata exist, the longer being about 264 and the shorter about 225 miles in length ; the latter is said to be impassable in winter. Neither of these possesses a name, and for a considerable distance each is identical with the Nakasendo. Another road, which, though far shorter than those already men tioned, still possesses great interest for the traveller on