8270 



Birds. 



On the Ornithology of Northern Japan. 

 By Captain Blakiston, R.A.* 



A couple of sleepless nights on shore at Shanghai, from the effect 

 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 ports of Japan ; but, as luck would have it, 

 an opportunity offered of a passage to the little-frequented port of 

 Hakodadi, in the northern islaud Yesso ; and through the kindness 

 of Mr. Webb (the head of the firm of Dent & Co. at Shanghai), a 

 gentleman well known to the ornithological world, I was allowed to 

 take a passage in the good barque * Eva,' commanded by Captain David 

 Scott. The night of the 13th July, 186J, found us anchored in the 

 outer roads off Woosung, at the mouth of the Shanghai river, and the 

 day following we got clear of the muddy current of the Great River 

 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 direction. 



Sea voyages in general have but little interest to the ornithologist, 

 and ours on this occasion was no exception to the rule. A few sea 

 birds only were seen, but not identified ; and a solitary dove flew on 

 board, and remained about the vessel for some time, one morning. At 

 certain seasons, however, on this passage, land birds are met with in 

 numbers ; and Captain Scott, during a voyage from China in the 

 month of October, caught some quails, several of which he kept alive 

 for a few days. The line of migration is probably between the Corea 

 and Nipon, the largest island of the Japanese group. 



On the 25th of July we sighted a small rocky island called Ku- 

 sima (sima meaning island, and yama mountain), near the western 

 entrance of the Strait of Tsugar, which separates Yesso from Nipon; 

 and working up against a stiff breeze, we got under the shelter of the 

 high lands for the night following. Next morning we commenced 

 beating through the Straits, and, the set of the current being 

 strongly in our favour, we, by successive tacks, made good progress 

 towards the Pacific. Passing Matsumai (formerly the chief town of 



* Reprinted horn the 1 Ibis ' for October, 1862, aud communicated by the Author. 



