A WALK IN KTTJSIU. 113 



" Do SO ; we shall be glad to see you, and you will 

 be hot and tired by that time, and glad to rest. A 

 pleasant walk to you." 



Soon afterwards I reached the head of the valley. 

 1 observed the barley was nearly all cut, and that the 

 other crops of sweet-potatoes and cotton looked very 

 promising. Half-a-dozen green pheasants were pecking 

 away at the potatoes. One fine old bird, standing 

 on a mound, crowed every now and then, and imme- 

 diately afterwards flapped his wings violently, as 

 pheasants always do, making a peculiar drumming 

 noise. This is a challenge to all comers ; but none 

 of the other four or five cocks appeared the least 

 inclined to accept it. A pair of the beautiful light- 

 green pigeons passed across in front of me, their bright 

 yellow necks shining like gold in the sun. The rough 

 path now entered the fir wood, which ran down on 

 each side of the valley I had come up. Just before 

 the trees closed over the path, I looked over the high 

 bank of the reservoir, which is invariably found at the ' 

 head of all cultivated valleys, and observed a small 

 flock of mandarin ducks swimming about by the edge of 

 the alder shrubs which hung over the water from the wood 

 side. The drake of this species is, as I have already 

 said, the most beautiful of all the duck tribe I know. 



H 



