Abstract
A book entitled “A Photographic Guide; Amphibians and Reptiles in Japan” (coauthored by Ryu Uchiyama, Norio Maeda, Kenji Numata, and Shintaro Seki; ISBN4-582-54232-8; soft bind.; modified A 5 size; 336 pp.; 2800 JY exclusive of tax) was published in 2002 from Heibonsha, Tokyo. While showing with mostly attractive photographs all amphibian and reptile taxa known from Japan to the present (i. e., native Japanese taxa plus exotic taxa now having feral populations in Japan), the book also attempts in text to summarize up-to-date information regarding the diversity and natural history of Japanese herpetofauna. The first print, dated in colophon as 20 September 2002, however, has numerous errors of various categories, such as erroneous identifications of animals photographed, misleading statements regarding morphological and ecological features of taxa, and adoptions of obviously inappropriate classifications and scientific names. Many of these errors were corrected in the second version, which, despite its rather substantial changes from the original edition, was published simply as “the second print of the original edition” on 25 November of the same year (according to the date printed in its colophon). Obviously publication of this “second print” much preceded sellout of the first print, and surprisingly the first print was still in sell after publication of the second print despite its numerous errors. Such an attitude of the publisher should be severely criticized from an ethical point of view.
