III. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STUDY OF THE FRESH WATER FISHES OF THE ISLAND OF FORMOSA. By Masamitsu Oshima. Of the Institute of Science, Government of Formosa. (Plates XLVIII-LIII.) Introduction. The Island of Formosa, lies in the western Pacific Ocean, between the Southern and Eastern China Seas and is separated from the Chinese mainland by the Formosan Strait, which has a width of about ninety miles in its narrowest part. It is two hundred and five miles long and from sixty to eighty miles broad, having seven hundred and thirty-one miles of coast-line and an area of 13,429 square miles, being thus nearly of the same size as Kiushiu, the southernmost island of Japan proper. The island is traversed throughout its length by a fine mountain range, which reaches an altitude of from 8,000 to 12,000 feet, Mt. Niitaka (14,270 ft.) stands in the middle and Mt. Silvia (12,480 ft.) in the north. In addition, along the eastern shore there are coast ranges of considerable height, the bases of which form magnificent cliffs from fifteen to twenty-five hundred feet high. Thus the middle p(i.rt and the eastern side of the island are mountainous, while the west is covered by fertile plains. Because of the above mentioned topography, there are very few rivers on the eastern coast, while on the western coast there are many of considerable length, namely, Tamusui, Hozan, Koro, Daian, Daito, Dakusui, Seira, Shinkobi, Sobun, and Shimo-Tamusui, of which the last-named is the largest. In addition to these, there is a lake called Jitsugetsutan (Lake Candidius), which has a small outlet into the River Dakusui. Until a comparatively recent date the Island of Formosa was a "terra incognita" to the naturalist, and the fresh-water fishes, which are especially valuable as confirming the geographical relationship between isolated islands and continents, were quite unknown. When Albert Giinther published his " Catalogue of Fishes " in 1859-1870, he had only sixteen species of Formosan fresh-water fishes to 12 — DEC. 16, 1919. 169
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