KOREA. 253 



lower part of the back. Its throat, also, is white, with 

 longitudinal hlack streaks, and all the black plumage 

 has each feather tipped with -white. By the llth of 

 May the wheat was being cut, and the rice fields being 

 prepared. 



The north end of Nosaki Sima, one of the northern 

 islands of the group, was, when I could find time, a 

 favourite resort of mine. The island rose from the sea 

 very abruptly for 1000 feet, ending in a ridge, then fell 

 as steeply to the water on the other side. It was 

 thickly wooded on one side, gigantic camellia trees 

 forming the principal cover. The ground underneath 

 was open, covered only with the common brake-fern, 

 Ptcris aquilina. The opposite side was matted over 

 with shrubs, creepers, and ferns. Here deer enjoyed 

 life unmolested, and were in consequence very plentiful. 

 On the unwooded side great pinnacle rocks sprang from 

 the hill, far above the cover of shrubs, etc. A pair of 

 ospreys had their nest on the flat top of one of these 

 great boulders, and from the ridge above I could see 

 right into it, and watch the old birds feeding their 

 young. I sent one of my men to scramble up to the 

 nest, in case an egg remained unhatched; but on his 

 reaching half-way up the rock, and when clinging to 

 the ivy which shrouded it, the old birds made such 



