CHAPTER VI.

NATURAL HISTORY OF CHINA, 296-379

Foreign scientists and explorers in China, 296; Interesting geological features, 297; Loess formation of Northern China, _ibid._; Its wonderful usefulness and fertility, 300; Baron Richthofen’s theory as to its origin, 303; Minerals of China Proper: Coal, 304; Building stones, salts, jade, etc., 307; The precious metals and their production, 310; Animals of the Empire, 313; Monkeys, 314; Various carnivorous animals, 317; Cattle, sheep, deer, etc., 320; Horses, pigs, camels, etc., 323; Smaller animals and rodents, 326; Cetacea in Chinese waters, 329; Birds of prey, 331; Passerinæ, song-birds, pies, etc., 332; Pigeons and grouse, 335; Varieties of pheasants, 336; Peacocks and ducks, 338; An aviary in Canton, 340; Four fabulous animals: The _kí-lin_, 342; The _fung-hwang_, or phœnix, 343; The _lung_, or dragon, and _kwei_, or tortoise, 344; Alligators and serpents, 345; Ichthyology of China, 347; Gold-fish and methods of rearing them, 348; Shell-fish of the Southern coast, 350; Insects: Silk-worms and beetles, 352; Wax-worm: Native notions of insects, 353; Students of botany in China, 355; Flora of Hongkong, coniferæ, grasses, 356; The bamboo, 358; Varieties of palms, lilies, tubers, etc., 360; Forest and timber growth, 362; Rhubarb, the Chinese ‘date’ and ‘olive,’ 364; Fruit-trees, 366; Flowering and ornamental plants, 367; The _Pun tsao_, or Chinese herbal, 370; Its medicine and botany, 371; Its zoölogy, 374; Its observations on the horse, 375; State of the natural sciences in China, 377.