INSECTS. 459 



water round the coral reefs, sporting playfully or resting 

 motionless on their vibrating pectorals, they fascinate the 

 eye fully as much as the large gaudily-coloured Lepidoptera 

 do upon the land. 



Among the Islands of the Korean Archipelago the chil- 

 dren use the dried spiral eggs of a species of Skate, or 

 some other cartilaginous fish, as rattles, having first intro- 

 duced a few small pebbles to assist in making a noise. 

 Beautiful azure Serrani and party-coloured Scari people 

 the calm waters within the coral reefs. Thousands of 

 other rock-fish are also met with in every possible variety 

 of colour. One species swims in shoals, and is of the 

 deepest and most brilliant ultramarine blue ; others are 

 vivid yellow, while many again are striped, banded, or 

 furnished with crimson tails or bright green fins, remind- 

 ing one of the fish Milton alludes to, which 



" show to the sun 

 Their waved coats dropp'd with gold." 



Various species of Carassus, Coboeta, Lenciscus, and other 

 genera, were observed by us among the islands. 



The Entomology of these islands doubtless is very rich 

 in new species. The large black and white butterfly Histia 

 Leuconome is common both among the Korean Archipelago 

 and in the Meia-co-shimah group. It wanders lazily along 

 on heavy flapping wings, a little above the low trees, in 

 shady places. On thistle-heads an elongated polished 

 green Cerambyx is seen, which diffuses a very powerful 

 odour of attar of roses, like the agreeable perfume emitted 

 by the Cerambyx rosalia of the Pyrenees. Another very 

 common beetle is the Pristonocerm cceruleipcnnis, a beau- 

 tiful blue insect with a yellow head ; while on the ground, 



