her as
residents or migrants is only 200, which is less than might be expected
considering the highly favourable conditions of mild climate, luxuriant
vegetation, and abundance of insect-life, 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 seventeen species, or about one-twelfth of the
whole, are now considered to be peculiar to Japan proper; while seventeen
more are peculiar to the various outlying small islands constituting the
Bonin and Loo Choo groups. Even of these, six or seven are classed by Mr.
Seebohm as probably sub-species or slightly modified forms of continental
birds, so that ten 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 of land-birds 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 land-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:--

LAND BIRDS COMMON TO GREAT BRITAIN AND JAPAN.[94]

(_Either Identical Species or Representative sub-species._)

1. Goldcrest _Regulus cristatus_ sub-sp. _orientalis_.
2. Marsh tit _Parus palustris_ sub-sp. _japonicus_.
3. Coal tit _Parus ater_ sub-sp. _pekinensis_.
4. Long-tailed tit _Acredula caudata_ (the sub-sp. _rosea_, is
British).
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5. Common creeper _Certhia familiaris._
6. Nuthatch _Sitta europaea_ sub-sp. _amurensis._
7. Carrion crow _Corvus corone._
8. Nutcracker _Nucifraga caryocatactes._
9. Magpie _Pica caudata._
10. Pallass' grey shrike _Lanius excubitor_ sub-sp. _major._
11. Waxwing _Ampelis garrulus._
12. Grey wagtail _Motacilla boarula_ sub-sp. _melanope._
13. Alpine Pipit _Anthus spinoletta_ sub-sp. _japonicus._
14. Skylark _Alauda