To examine the influence of major environmental factors on epiphytes, the relationships between environmental factors and species composition of epiphytic bryophytes and lichens on trunks of Cryptomeria japonica D. DON, were studied at Fuji-Sengen Shrine in Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture in central Japan. The area surrounding this shrine is probably suitable for the growth of bryophytes and lichens, because the air pollution (especially, photochemical oxidants concentration) is low and the precipitation is high in Kanto-Koshindistrict. No difference was observed in the number of species or in the cover of these epiphytes in relation to aspect of tree trunk or relative light intensity (RLI). In DBH class IV (over 90 cm in DBH), however, some difference in vegetation cover between the north-east and south-west side of the trunks was observed. pH of the bark was not shown to affect epiphytic growth. The environmental factor exerting the most definite influence on the growth of epiphytic bryophytes and lichens was texture of the bark, especially its surface roughness. The greater the roughness of the bark, as substrate of epiphytic bryophytes and lichens, the more easily the epiphytes become established, possibly owing to the increased water holding capacity of the bark. It was considered that rough bark formed a good habitat for epiphytes.

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In this paper as a continuous of our previous one twenty taxa belonging to the genus Fragilaria sensu lato (Fragilaria sensu stricto, Fragilariforma, Pseudostaurosira, Punctastriata, Staurosira and Staurosirella) are reported with light and electron microscope photographs. Some comments are made mostly on the taxonomy of each taxon.

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Longitudinal pattern in the distribu tion of Achnanthes japonica and A. convergens in the Kwang River (Kwangchun), South Korea, and environmental factors affecting their distribution are discussed. Diatom samples were collected from twelve different stations in four times; May, August, October in 1991 and January in 1992. These two species showed different distributional patterns. Achnanthes japonica mainly occurred in the upper reaches with high relative abundance. In the lower reaches, it decreased markedly or disappeared. Achnanthes japonica appears to require relatively high current velocity and not to be able to tolerate salinity, and hence it can be regarded as a typical species in the upper reaches of the running waters, having an oligosaprobic condition and high current velocity. On the contrary, Achnanthes convergens occurred in the whole stations in every sampling time. Requirement for the current velocity of A. convergens appears to be weak, and it can be tolerate somewhat saline water. Thus, A. convergens distributes widely, even in a slightly brackish water.

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To survey the terrestrial tardigrades in Japan, mosses and lichens were collected at many urban areas since 1983. The tardigrades were extracted from these samples by addition of water and were mounted with Gum-chloral on slideglasses for microscopic observations. The present report is related to the occurence and distribution of tardigrades of seven cities in Kanto region including Tokyo, Yokohama, Chiba, Mito, Utsunomiya, Maebashi and Urawa. Eleven species of tardigrades were found from 144 samples out of 318 samples colected in Kanto region. Four species including Echiniscus japonicus, Milnesium tardigradum, Macrobiotus harmsworthi and M. hufelandi are widely distributed in this region. The distribution of other 7 species are different by the locality. As for the co-existent animals with tardigrade in the moss flora， rotifers were higher (20.l %) than nematodes (1.6 %). Within 144 samples of moss, two to four species of tardigrades were found in 40 samples.

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The growth response to temperature and the photoperiodic induction of pupal diapause were investigated in the introduced butterfly, Sericinus montela, to know the adaptability of physiological characteristics to seasonal environmental changes. Threshold temperatures were about 12℃, and temperature accumulations in degree-days were 82 for egg, 195 for larva and 109 for pupa. Diapause induction was regulated by photoperiod during the larval stage, and the critical photoperiod was close to 13 hr 45 min. The photothermographic analysis showed that the life cycle of S. montela was in harmony with the seasonal environmental changes of Tokyo. In conclusion the trivoltine area in the Korean Peninsula was inferred most likely it's orginal locality.

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The larval form of Micropeplus fulvus japonicus SHARP, 1874 (Micropeplidae) belonging to the superfamily Staphylinoidea is described and illustrated for the first time. The larvae and adults of Micropeplus usually inhabit leaf-litter, and they apparently feed on the spores of moulds and other fungi. The material used in the present study was collected from leaf-litter in the Ikuta-Ryokuchi, Kawasaki City. The larvae of this genus may be distinguished from the known staphylinoid larvae by the outstanding features of the terga and head-capsule, and by the forms of the antenna, mouth-parts (labrum，mandible，maxilla and labium) and thoracic legs.

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Studies on food habit were performed by analysing the contents of fecal samples of Meles meles anakuma (231), Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus (127), Martes melampus melampus (217) and Vulpes vulpes japonica (155), collected at Nyugasa-yama (Mt. Nyugasa), Nagano Prefecture during 1985-87. Martes takes a variety of food throughout the year and therefore is omnivorous. Vulpes is also omnivorous, although it has a tendency to depend upon small mammals and Lepus brachyurus. Nyctereutes does not depend upon a particular kind of food and has seasonal changes in its main food, having similarities to those of Meles. Furthermore, it has more benefit from human food remainder than others species. Meles uses earthworms, insects, berries and seeds for its main food, and particularly has a tendency to depend upon earthworms. These results suggest a hard competition for food between Nyctereutes and Meles due to high multiplicities thereon in comparison with the other species.

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During 1986-93. studies on the home range and the dispersal of Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus using the radiotelemetry were performed at Nyugasa-yama (Mt. Nyugasa). Nagano Prefecture, located at the subalpine belt. The average area of home range calculated by the minimum convex polygon method was 609.5 ha. Some adult males had the larger home range in their mating season. Both males and females had the smaller home range in their delivery and suckling season. Adults moved within a short distance of less than 2 km. However, 66.7 percents of 0-year-old individuals were observed to move by a relatively long distance of more than 2 km during their first autumn to the following spring.

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Flora of the genus Hypnum (Musci) in Japan comprises 19 species. The present report treats the history and general morphology of the genus; keys to Hypnum and ten allied genera of the same family (Hypnaceae), to the Japanese species of Hypnum，and to seven sections of Hypnum known in japan; and description, illustration, ecology, distribution and diagnostic characters of four species, H. calcicolum, H. callichroum ssp. japonicum, H. cupressiforme (var. cupressiforme, var. filiforme, var. subjulaceum) and H. densirameum.

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The Lower Pleistocene Kazusa Group contains many intercalated tephra layers. The elemental abundances of the volcanic glass shards in the tephra layers were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometery (ICP).

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