of violent storms
and their being situated out of the line of continental migration, seem to
be the conditions that have favoured the specialisation of modified types
adapted to the new environment.

_Japan Birds Recurring in Distant Areas._--The most interesting feature in
the ornithology of Japan is, undoubtedly, the presence of several species
which indicate an alliance with such remote districts as the Himalayas, the
Malay Islands, and Europe. Among the peculiar species, the most remarkable
of this class are,--the fruit-pigeon of the genus Treron, entirely unknown
in China, but reappearing in Formosa and Japan; the Hypsipetes, whose
nearest ally is in South China at a distance of nearly 500 miles; and the
jay (_Garrulus japonicus_), whose near ally (_G. glandarius_) inhabits
Europe only, at a distance of 3,700 miles. But even more extraordinary are
the following non-peculiar species:--_Spizaetus orientalis_, a crested
eagle, inhabiting the Himalayas, Formosa, and Japan, but unknown in
Southern or Eastern China; _Ceryle guttata_, a spotted kingfisher, almost
confined to the Himalayas and Japan, though occurring rarely in Central
China; and _Halcyon coromanda_, a brilliant red kingfisher inhabiting
Northern India, the Malay Islands to Celebes, Formosa, and Japan. We have
here an excellent illustration of the favourable conditions which islands
afford both for species which elsewhere live further south (_Halcyon
coromanda_), and for the preservation in isolated colonies of species which
are verging towards extinction; for such we must consider the above-named
eagle and kingfisher, both confined to a very limited area on the
continent, but surviving in remote islands. Referring to our account of the
birth, growth, and death of a species (in Chapter IV.) it can hardly be
doubted that the _Ceryle guttata_ formerly ranged from the Himalayas to
Japan, and has now almost died out in the intervening area owing to
geographical and physical changes, a subject which will be better discussed
when we have examined the interesting fauna of the island of Formosa. {400}

The other orders of animals are not yet sufficiently known to enable us to
found any accurate conclusions upon them. The main facts of their
distribution have already been given in my _Geographical Distribution of
Animals_ (Vol I., pp. 227-231), and they sufficiently agree with the birds
and mammalia in showing a mixture of temperate and tropical forms with a
consid