Detail

`The Ministry of Communications decided to issue the postage stamps of animal series this year in addition to the plant series issued lasy year. Three kinds of the series will be issued every three months in March, June, September, and December during the year. Each quarterly issue will be depicting birds in March, fishes in June, insects in September, and finally beasts in December. The first quarterly series is to include mandarin duck, white crane, pheasant in 3 Won, 5 Won and 7 Won denomination respectively. The mandarin duck The mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) has habits similar to those of ordinary ducks but it has long coronal plumes behind the head and very beautiful large wings which spread in a shape of Gingko leaf. During the summer season the colour of the both male and female is almost identical. The colour of the head and nect is greyish-brown. They have greyish-brown head and neck, live colour back and brown breast with white spots. The colour of the male changes according to seasons. They live on lake and swamp. Because of their harmonious terms with each other, it is often compared with a happily married life. Distribution area includes Korea, East Siberia, China, and Japan. White crane White crane with a red crest (Grus japonensis) is similar to an ordinary crane in shape but it has almost pure white body with a red crest over the head. On the thin and long neck there is a slanting black band. Its tail is white although it looks like black when sitting down and covered by black portion of the wings. Ever since the old days in Korea, the noble personality of a literary man is compared with the colour and noble elegancy of this bird. The distribution area includes Korea, China and it is protected as a natural memorial animal. Pheasant Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus karpowi Burturlin) is a bird similar to a chicken. The male is also called in Korean ``Jangkki`` and has a long tail as long as 55cm. The colour of the body is reddish-brown and beautiful with many spots. The neck has maroon rings around it. The female is also called in Korean ``KKatuli`` and smaller in size compared with the male. It has reddish-brown and pink spots over the feather. It is a nonmigratory bird which lives in the hills or fields and a special product of Korea. It is one of the favorite games for the winter hunting and is rarely kept as a pet as well.`