THE IBIS. 



No. XVL OCTOBER 1862. 



XXXIV. — On the Ornithology of Northern Japan. 

 By Capt. Blakiston. 



(Plate X.) 



A COUPLE of sleepless nights on shore at Shanghai from the 

 effects of mosquitos and the intense heat of a Chinese July, after 

 a five months' cruise on the Yang-tsze Kiang, were sufficient to 

 cause me to decide on migrating to cooler regions. There were 

 frequent chances for the southern parts of Japan ; but, as luck 

 would have it, an opportunity offered of a passage to the little- 

 frequented port of Hakodadi, in the northern island " Yesso ;" 

 and through the kindness of Mr. Webb (the head of the firm of 

 "Dent & Co/' at Shanghai), a gentleman well known to the orni- 

 thological world, I was allowed to take a passage in the good 

 barque ' Eva,' commanded by Captain David Scott. The night 

 of the 13th July, 1861, found us anchored in the outer roads off 

 Woosung, at the mouth of the Shanghai river, and the day fol- 

 lowing we got clear of the muddy current of the '^ Great Uiver" into 

 blue water. Favoured by the south-west monsoon and fair weather, 

 we made good progress for several days, and passing through 

 the Strait of the Corea, entered the Sea of Japan on the 17th. 

 Beyond this the monsoon was feeble ; but the " Kuro-Siwo," a 

 branch of the " North-Pacific Gulf-stream," which sets through 

 these straits and up the sea, helped us along in the right direc- 

 tion. 



VOL. IV. Y 



