《环境变迁与中华文明》教学资源（电子书籍）《象之隐退》（Mark Elvin）The Retreat of the Elephants

THE RETREAT OF THE ELEPHANTS an environmental history of MAR K EL V IN china

Other books by Mark Elvin The Pattern of the Chinese Past.Stanford University Press:Stanford, California.1973 Cultural Atlas of China.Facts on File:New York.With Caroline Blunden. 1983 and 1998.(The revised edition is under the'Checkmark'imprint.) Another History:Essays on China from a European Perspective.Wild Peony Press and Hawaii University Press:Sydney and Honolulu.1996. Changing Stories in the Chinese World.Stanford University Press:Stanford, California.1997. Sediments of Time:Environment and Society in Chinese History. Cambridge University Press:New York.Edited with Liu Ts'ui-jung.1998. As 'John Dutton'(fiction) St Giles's Fair.Samara Press:Tarago,NSW,London,and Portola Valley, California.2000. Tiger's Island.Samara Press:Tarago,NSW,London,and Portola Valley, California.2000

Other books by Mark Elvin The Pattern of the Chinese Past. Stanford University Press: Stanford, California. 1973. Cultural Atlas of China. Facts on File: New York. With Caroline Blunden. 1983 and 1998. (The revised edition is under the ‘Checkmark’ imprint.) Another History: Essays on China from a European Perspective. Wild Peony Press and Hawaii University Press: Sydney and Honolulu. 1996. Changing Stories in the Chinese World. Stanford University Press: Stanford, California. 1997. Sediments of Time: Environment and Society in Chinese History. Cambridge University Press: New York. Edited with Liu Ts’ui-jung. 1998. As ‘John Dutton’ (fiction) St Giles’s Fair. Samara Press: Tarago, NSW, London, and Portola Valley, California. 2000. Tiger’s Island. Samara Press: Tarago, NSW, London, and Portola Valley, California. 2000

Copyright 2004 by Mark Elvin All rights reserved.This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part,in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S.Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press),without written permission from the publishers. For information about this and other Yale University Press publications,please contact: U.S.Office:sales.press@yale.edu yalebooks.com Europe Office:sales@yaleup.co.uk www.yalebooks.co.uk Set in Minion by Northern Phototypesetting Co.Ltd,Bolton Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Elvin,Mark The retreat of the elephants:an environmental history of China/by Mark Elvin.ist ed. p.cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN o-300-10111-2 (cloth:alk.paper) 1.Human ecology-China-History.2.Elephants-China-Migration. 3.Deforestation-China-History.4.Environmental degradation-China-History. 5.China-Environmental conditions.I.Title. GF656.E482004 304.20951—dc22 2003017378 A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. 10987654321

Copyright © 2004 by Mark Elvin All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers. For information about this and other Yale University Press publications, please contact: U.S. Office: sales.press@yale.edu yalebooks.com Europe Office: sales@yaleup.co.uk www.yalebooks.co.uk Set in Minion by Northern Phototypesetting Co. Ltd, Bolton Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Elvin, Mark The retreat of the elephants: an environmental history of China / by Mark Elvin. 1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0‒300‒10111‒2 (cloth: alk. paper) 1. Human ecology—China—History. 2. Elephants—China—Migration. 3. Deforestation—China—History. 4. Environmental degradation— China—History. 5. China—Environmental conditions. I. Title. GF656.E48 2004 304.2´0951—dc22 2003017378 A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents List of Illustrations viii Acknowledgments ix Permissions xii Conventions XV Introductory Remarks xvii Patterns 1 Landmarks and Time-marks 3 2 Humans v.Elephants:The Three Thousand Years War 9 The Great Deforestation:An Overview 19 The Great Deforestation:Regions and Species 40 5 War and the Logic of Short-term Advantage 86 6 Water and the Costs of System Sustainability 15 Particularities 165 Richness to Riches:The Story of Jiaxing 167 Chinese Colonialism:Guizhou and the Miao 216 9 The Riddle of Longevity:Why Zunhua? 273 Perceptions 319 10 Nature as Revelation 321 11 Science and Superfauna 369 Imperial Dogma and Personal Perspectives 413 Concluding Remarks 454 Notes 472 Bibliography 530 Index 548

List of Illustrations viii Acknowledgments ix Permissions xiii Conventions xv Introductory Remarks xvii Patterns 1 1 Landmarks and Time-marks 3 2 Humans v. Elephants: The Three Thousand Years War 9 3 The Great Deforestation: An Overview 19 4 The Great Deforestation: Regions and Species 40 5 War and the Logic of Short-term Advantage 86 6 Water and the Costs of System Sustainability 115 Particularities 165 7 Richness to Riches: The Story of Jiaxing 167 8 Chinese Colonialism: Guizhou and the Miao 216 9 The Riddle of Longevity: Why Zunhua? 273 Perceptions 319 10 Nature as Revelation 321 11 Science and Superfauna 369 12 Imperial Dogma and Personal Perspectives 413 Concluding Remarks 454 Notes 472 Bibliography 530 Index 548 Contents

fi Illustrations Maps 1.Schematic model of China for rapid reference 2.The retreat of the elephants,5000 BCE to present day 10 3. Hangzhou Bay,circa1000 142 4.Hangzhou Bay,mid eighteenth century 143 5.Hangzhou Bay,1986 143 Figure 1.Modeled revenue from cutting and selling a tree,with protection costs,and the option of investing proceeds at interest 83 Tables 1.Time-marks in Chinese environmental history 6 2.Land formation by the Yellow River on its southern and northern courses,from 1194 to 1983 129 3.The speed of advance,and the rate of accretion,of the Yellow River delta from 1195 to 1854 130 4.Riverine and tidal flows,with related sediment transport,in the Qiantang River measured at Qibao Station 153 5.Seed-to-yield ratios for rice in late-imperial Jiaxing 209

Maps 1. Schematic model of China for rapid reference 4 2. The retreat of the elephants, 5000 BCE to present day 10 3. Hangzhou Bay, circa 1000 142 4. Hangzhou Bay, mid eighteenth century 143 5. Hangzhou Bay, 1986 143 Figure 1. Modeled revenue from cutting and selling a tree, with protection costs, and the option of investing proceeds at interest 83 Tables 1. Time-marks in Chinese environmental history 6 2. Land formation by the Yellow River on its southern and northern courses, from 1194 to 1983 129 3. The speed of advance, and the rate of accretion, of the Yellow River delta from 1195 to 1854 130 4. Riverine and tidal flows, with related sediment transport, in the Qiantang River measured at Qibao Station 153 5. Seed-to-yield ratios for rice in late-imperial Jiaxing 209 Illustrations

Acknowledgments Many other authors,friends,and colleagues have helped with the making of this book,either consciously or perhaps unconsciously.Maybe even one or two critics,opponents,and enemies.There is no way for me to be sure of recalling all of them,nor maybe even to be aware of all of them.But I would like to offer my gratitude,sometimes-sadly-only in memory,to those who, I think,have been the most important. First,to the late Kay Oldfield,of the Soil Association,who taught me while still a boy how to make a compost heap.Also to Rachel Carson's writings, beginning with The Sea Around Us to the Whole Earth Catalog,and to the Ecologist magazine,founded by Teddy Goldsmith,for all of them provoking me into thinking differently-in what now seems an era long past.If I have gone my own way since,that is where it started. Second,to those who taught me to read classical Chinese after I graduated in history from Cambridge:Ted Pulleyblank,Denis Twitchett,and Piet van der Loon.The translations in this book are based on their teaching,though they should in no way be held responsible for the idiosyncrasies and imperfections. Third,to the late Joseph Needham.His inspiration as the founding father of the history of Chinese science and technology-and a personal friend-was crucial,even ifeven from the start-my historical vision differed from his. This last was shaped first and foremost by the late Philip Whitting,the Byzan- tine scholar,who taught me history at St Paul's School,London.A debt never adequately repayable. Fourth,to the libraries,bookshops,dealers in books,and generous fellow scholars who have provided the bedrock information for research.My thanks therefore in particular to Andrew Gosling(now retired)and his staff at the

Many other authors, friends, and colleagues have helped with the making of this book, either consciously or perhaps unconsciously. Maybe even one or two critics, opponents, and enemies. There is no way for me to be sure of recalling all of them, nor maybe even to be aware of all of them. But I would like to offer my gratitude, sometimes—sadly—only in memory, to those who, I think, have been the most important. First, to the late Kay Oldfield, of the Soil Association, who taught me while still a boy how to make a compost heap. Also to Rachel Carson’s writings, beginning with The Sea Around Us; to the Whole Earth Catalog, and to the Ecologist magazine, founded by Teddy Goldsmith, for all of them provoking me into thinking differently—in what now seems an era long past. If I have gone my own way since, that is where it started. Second, to those who taught me to read classical Chinese after I graduated in history from Cambridge: Ted Pulleyblank, Denis Twitchett, and Piet van der Loon. The translations in this book are based on their teaching, though they should in no way be held responsible for the idiosyncrasies and imperfections. Third, to the late Joseph Needham. His inspiration as the founding father of the history of Chinese science and technology—and a personal friend—was crucial, even if—even from the start—my historical vision differed from his. This last was shaped first and foremost by the late Philip Whitting, the Byzan￾tine scholar, who taught me history at St Paul’s School, London. A debt never adequately repayable. Fourth, to the libraries, bookshops, dealers in books, and generous fellow scholars who have provided the bedrock information for research. My thanks therefore in particular to Andrew Gosling (now retired) and his staff at the Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments East Asian collection of the National Library of Australia,to Susan Prentice, formerly of the Menzies Library of the Australian National University,and other members of the East Asian staff there,mostly now departed to other employment,to John Moffett,the Librarian of the Needham Research Insti- tute in Cambridge,a nonpareil of generosity,to Charles Aylmer,who presides over the Chinese collection in Cambridge University Library,to the Harvard- Yenching Library in Cambridge,Massachusetts,and the library of Columbia University in New York for procuring copies of rare items vital for the study of Guiyang and Zunhua,and to friends who gave me some key books:Professor Liu Shuren of the Huadong Normal University in Shanghai,Professor C.S. Juju C.S.Wang of the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan,Professor Shiba Yoshinobu now at the Toyo Bunko and the International Christian University in Tokyo,my Australian colleague Professor Warren Wan-kuo Sun, and my former co-author and continuing friend Dr Su Ninghu,who has now moved back to Australia after working for the government in New Zealand.I cannot any longer recall even the names of all the bookshops in the Kanda in Tokyo and in Kyoto where I have bought books in Japanese,but they have been an irreplaceable resource.I would also like,however blurred the focus may have become with the passage of time,to record my gratitude to them,and likewise to Heffers of Cambridge(now taken over by Blackwells)for English- language items. Fifth,I owe a permanent debt for the intellectual stimulation provided by academic colleagues too numerous to mention individually,but most commonly at research conferences.I would like therefore at least to express my appreciation to those who organized the most important of these meetings,sometimes in times now long past.To Bill Skinner,whose conference more than thirty years ago on the Chinese city in late-imperial China helped crystallize my interest in the study of historical hydraulics.To Dwight Perkins,whose conference on China's modern economy in historical perspective stimulated my re- examination of late-traditional Chinese technology.To Ito Shuntaro and Yasuda Yoshinori,and the Nichibunken Center,for the great international conference at Kyoto in 1992 on "Nature and Humankind in the Age of Environmental Crisis."To Hsiung Ping-chen of the Academia Sinica in Taipei for suggesting that Professor Liu Ts'ui-jung and I organize a conference on China's environmental history,and to Dr Li Yih-yuan and the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for paying for most of it.To Alan Macfarlane of King's College,Cambridge,whose work- shops on the history of science and technology in comparative perspective have been a source of many fruitful insights.To Rick Edmonds,the then editor of the China Quarterly,for the conference early in 1998 on China's environmental problems.To Kaoru Sugihara for the environmental history panel at the 1999

East Asian collection of the National Library of Australia, to Susan Prentice, formerly of the Menzies Library of the Australian National University, and other members of the East Asian staff there, mostly now departed to other employment, to John Moffett, the Librarian of the Needham Research Insti￾tute in Cambridge, a nonpareil of generosity, to Charles Aylmer, who presides over the Chinese collection in Cambridge University Library, to the Harvard￾Yenching Library in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the library of Columbia University in New York for procuring copies of rare items vital for the study of Guiyang and Zunhua, and to friends who gave me some key books: Professor Liu Shuren of the Huadong Normal University in Shanghai, Professor C. S. Juju C. S. Wang of the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, Professor Shiba Yoshinobu now at the To¯yo¯ Bunko and the International Christian University in Tokyo, my Australian colleague Professor Warren Wan-kuo Sun, and my former co-author and continuing friend Dr Su Ninghu, who has now moved back to Australia after working for the government in New Zealand. I cannot any longer recall even the names of all the bookshops in the Kanda in Tokyo and in Kyoto where I have bought books in Japanese, but they have been an irreplaceable resource. I would also like, however blurred the focus may have become with the passage of time, to record my gratitude to them, and likewise to Heffers of Cambridge (now taken over by Blackwells) for English￾language items. Fifth, I owe a permanent debt for the intellectual stimulation provided by academic colleagues too numerous to mention individually, but most commonly at research conferences. I would like therefore at least to express my appreciation to those who organized the most important of these meetings, sometimes in times now long past. To Bill Skinner, whose conference more than thirty years ago on the Chinese city in late-imperial China helped crystallize my interest in the study of historical hydraulics. To Dwight Perkins, whose conference on China’s modern economy in historical perspective stimulated my re￾examination of late-traditional Chinese technology. To Ito¯ Shuntaro¯ and Yasuda Yoshinori, and the Nichibunken Center, for the great international conference at Kyoto in 1992 on “Nature and Humankind in the Age of Environmental Crisis.” To Hsiung Ping-chen of the Academia Sinica in Taipei for suggesting that Professor Liu Ts’ui-jung and I organize a conference on China’s environmental history, and to Dr Li Yih-yuan and the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for paying for most of it. To Alan Macfarlane of King’s College, Cambridge, whose work￾shops on the history of science and technology in comparative perspective have been a source of many fruitful insights. To Rick Edmonds, the then editor of the China Quarterly, for the conference early in 1998 on China’s environmental problems. To Kaoru Sugihara for the environmental history panel at the 1999 x Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments xi conference on economic history in Kyoto,and visits to other Japanese universi- ties;and,finally,to Jack Goldstone of the University of California at Davis for his multifaceted conference in the fall of 1999 on almost every conceivable topic of interest to economic and environmental historians,with a particularly strong emphasis on China.I garnered a wealth of ideas and details from friends,and others,who participated in these gatherings,and hope they will excuse my not mentioning them one by one.They provided many seeds and grafts for the garden of intellect. Sixth,I think it proper to express gratitude to those institutions that have kept me financially alive and helped me pay my family's bills.My thanks, then,to the universities of Cambridge and Glasgow,where in earlier days I taught Chinese history and economic history.To Harvard,where I enjoyed a total of three valuable years as a visiting fellow thanks to the Harkness- Commonwealth Foundation and the support of the late John Fairbank;and to the University of Oxford,and St Antony's College,where I taught from 1973 to 1989.More especially,though,to the Ecole Normale Superieure,in the rue d'Ulm,Paris,where I was invited by Marianne Bastid-Brugiere,and gave my first course on the environmental history of China,as the first holder of the Chaire Europeenne,in 1993;and to the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies in the Australian National University in Canberra,where I was able to set up the Project on the Environmental History of China and Japan during the Directorship of Professor R.Gerard Ward. Finally,there are a handful of special individuals from whom I have learned more than casually over the years.Among these are those with whom I have collaborated on papers,notably Su Ninghu,hydrologist extraordinary,and Zhang Yixia,the microbiologist and expert in public health.Richard Grove,for five years at the Australian National University's Research School of Social Sciences,and founding editor of the journal Environment and History,proved a constant source of new contacts and perspectives.Basia Zaba,of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,and Griff Feeney,then at the East-West Center in Hawaii,were indispensable guides through technical demography,though most of this has proved too complex to include in the present book.Doug Whaite,formerly of the Coombs Computing Unit,gave crucial assistance with the computing as I taught myself how to write programs again.Professor Liu Ts'un-yan and Chiang Yang-ming (Sam Rivers) gave irreplaceable assistance with difficulties in translation.Help with partic- ular technical details in this book was also kindly provided by Georges Metailie of the Laboratory of Ethno-Botany in Paris,and by Ian Williams of the Research School of Chemistry,Australian National University.Indispensable generosities

conference on economic history in Kyoto, and visits to other Japanese universi￾ties; and, finally, to Jack Goldstone of the University of California at Davis for his multifaceted conference in the fall of 1999 on almost every conceivable topic of interest to economic and environmental historians, with a particularly strong emphasis on China. I garnered a wealth of ideas and details from friends, and others, who participated in these gatherings, and hope they will excuse my not mentioning them one by one. They provided many seeds and grafts for the garden of intellect. Sixth, I think it proper to express gratitude to those institutions that have kept me financially alive and helped me pay my family’s bills. My thanks, then, to the universities of Cambridge and Glasgow, where in earlier days I taught Chinese history and economic history. To Harvard, where I enjoyed a total of three valuable years as a visiting fellow thanks to the Harkness￾Commonwealth Foundation and the support of the late John Fairbank; and to the University of Oxford, and St Antony’s College, where I taught from 1973 to 1989. More especially, though, to the École Normale Supérieure, in the rue d’Ulm, Paris, where I was invited by Marianne Bastid-Brugière, and gave my first course on the environmental history of China, as the first holder of the Chaire Européenne, in 1993; and to the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies in the Australian National University in Canberra, where I was able to set up the Project on the Environmental History of China and Japan during the Directorship of Professor R. Gerard Ward. Finally, there are a handful of special individuals from whom I have learned more than casually over the years. Among these are those with whom I have collaborated on papers, notably Su Ninghu, hydrologist extraordinary, and Zhang Yixia, the microbiologist and expert in public health. Richard Grove, for five years at the Australian National University’s Research School of Social Sciences, and founding editor of the journal Environment and History, proved a constant source of new contacts and perspectives. Basia Zaba, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Griff Feeney, then at the East–West Center in Hawaii, were indispensable guides through technical demography, though most of this has proved too complex to include in the present book. Doug Whaite, formerly of the Coombs Computing Unit, gave crucial assistance with the computing as I taught myself how to write programs again. Professor Liu Ts’un-yan and Chiang Yang-ming (Sam Rivers) gave irreplaceable assistance with difficulties in translation. Help with partic￾ular technical details in this book was also kindly provided by Georges Métailié of the Laboratory of Ethno-Botany in Paris, and by Ian Williams of the Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University. Indispensable generosities. Acknowledgments xi

xii Acknowledgments My wife,Dian Montgomerie,artist,ceramist,photographer,and lifelong amateur naturalist,has constantly helped train my eye as an observer,brought serious amateur expertise to problems in the identification of Chinese plant- names,and done her valiant best to absorb the strains endured by her husband working in a still-great but threatened institution that was for a long time in a state of both government-imposed and internal managerial stress.To her no thanks can ever be enough. Gratitude,too,to my elder son,Dr John Elvin of Cambridge Antibody Tech- nologies,for reminding me,whenever I seemed to be in danger of forgetting it,that micro-organisms are the foundation of everything.And to Charles,my younger son,for his acute insights into the realities of power. The last fine-tuning of this work was done at the Sinologisches Seminar of Heidelberg University,under the kindly auspices of Professor Rudolf Wagner, where I gave a course of lectures based on the draft chapters,and reaped many small but critical corrections.My warmest thanks to him and Cathie,and to all who came and listened. Finally,I should like to express my warm appreciation of the way in which Robert Baldock and Diana Yeh and their colleagues at Yale University Press have looked after the editing and production of this book with a combination of high speed and painstaking attention,and Barry Howarth,formerly of the Australian National University,has taken care of the complex index. Mark Elvin Tarago,New South Wales and Heidelberg,2003

My wife, Dian Montgomerie, artist, ceramist, photographer, and lifelong amateur naturalist, has constantly helped train my eye as an observer, brought serious amateur expertise to problems in the identification of Chinese plant￾names, and done her valiant best to absorb the strains endured by her husband working in a still-great but threatened institution that was for a long time in a state of both government-imposed and internal managerial stress. To her no thanks can ever be enough. Gratitude, too, to my elder son, Dr John Elvin of Cambridge Antibody Tech￾nologies, for reminding me, whenever I seemed to be in danger of forgetting it, that micro-organisms are the foundation of everything. And to Charles, my younger son, for his acute insights into the realities of power. The last fine-tuning of this work was done at the Sinologisches Seminar of Heidelberg University, under the kindly auspices of Professor Rudolf Wagner, where I gave a course of lectures based on the draft chapters, and reaped many small but critical corrections. My warmest thanks to him and Cathie, and to all who came and listened. Finally, I should like to express my warm appreciation of the way in which Robert Baldock and Diana Yeh and their colleagues at Yale University Press have looked after the editing and production of this book with a combination of high speed and painstaking attention, and Barry Howarth, formerly of the Australian National University, has taken care of the complex index. Mark Elvin Tarago, New South Wales and Heidelberg, 2003 xii Acknowledgments

Permissions Parts of the following chapters have either appeared in previous publications or have drawn substantially from the material in them: Chapter 5:M.Elvin,"The environmental legacy of imperial China."China Quarterly 156.(Dec.),1998.Also in book form in R.L.Edmonds,ed.,Managing the Chinese Environment.Oxford University Press:Oxford,2000. Chapter 6:M.Elvin and N.Su,"Man against the sea:Natural and anthro- pogenic factors in the changing morphology of Harngzhou Bay,circa 1000-1800."Environment and History 11 (Feb.),1995;and id.,"Engineering the sea:Hydraulic systems and pre-modern technological lock-in in the Harngzhou Bay area circa 1000-1800."In Ito Suntaro and Yoshida Yoshinori, eds.,Nature and Humankind in the Age of Environmental Crisis.International Research Center for Japanese Studies:Kyoto,1995. Chapter 6:M.Elvin and N.Su,"Action at a distance:The influence of the Yellow River on Hangzhou Bay since AD 1000."In M.Elvin and T.-J.Liu,eds., Sediments of Time:Environment and Society in Chinese History.Cambridge University Press:New York,1998. Part of chapters 7,8,and 9:M.Elvin,"Blood and statistics:Reconstructing the population dynamics of late imperial China from the biographies of virtuous women in local gazetteers."In H.Zurndorfer,ed.,Chinese Women in the Imperial Past:New Perspectives.Brill:Leiden,1999. Chapter 10 was presented to the conference at Rheine in March 2000 on "Das Naturverstandnis in China und Europa vom 6.Jh.v.u.Z.bis zum 17 Jh." organized by Professor Guinter Dux and Professor Hans Ulrich Vogel. Chapter 11:M.Elvin,"The man who saw dragons:Science and styles of thinking in Xie Zhaozhe's Fivefold Miscellany."Journal of the Oriental Society of Australia 25 and 26,1993-4

Parts of the following chapters have either appeared in previous publications or have drawn substantially from the material in them: Chapter 5: M. Elvin, “The environmental legacy of imperial China.” China Quarterly 156. (Dec.), 1998. Also in book form in R. L. Edmonds, ed., Managing the Chinese Environment. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2000. Chapter 6: M. Elvin and N. Su, “Man against the sea: Natural and anthro￾pogenic factors in the changing morphology of Harngzhou Bay, circa 1000–1800.” Environment and History 1.1 (Feb.), 1995; and id., “Engineering the sea: Hydraulic systems and pre-modern technological lock-in in the Harngzhou Bay area circa 1000–1800.” In Ito¯ Suntaro¯ and Yoshida Yoshinori, eds., Nature and Humankind in the Age of Environmental Crisis. International Research Center for Japanese Studies: Kyoto, 1995. Chapter 6: M. Elvin and N. Su, “Action at a distance: The influence of the Yellow River on Hangzhou Bay since ad 1000.” In M. Elvin and T.-J. Liu, eds., Sediments of Time: Environment and Society in Chinese History. Cambridge University Press: New York, 1998. Part of chapters 7, 8, and 9: M. Elvin, “Blood and statistics: Reconstructing the population dynamics of late imperial China from the biographies of virtuous women in local gazetteers.” In H. Zurndorfer, ed., Chinese Women in the Imperial Past: New Perspectives. Brill: Leiden, 1999. Chapter 10 was presented to the conference at Rheine in March 2000 on “Das Naturverständnis in China und Europa vom 6. Jh. v.u.Z. bis zum 17 Jh.” organized by Professor Günter Dux and Professor Hans Ulrich Vogel. Chapter 11: M. Elvin, “The man who saw dragons: Science and styles of thinking in Xie Zhaozhe’s Fivefold Miscellany.” Journal of the Oriental Society of Australia 25 and 26, 1993–4. Permissions