Birds in Sanskrit Literature day-light. The name (Owl's hand-maid) is perhaps based on a similar but more ancient story. 7. Smythies refers to certain calls of Owls as "having the character of 'songs', i.e. either one note or a simple combination of notes repeated at varying intervals" (p. 310). Thus the call of the Brown Wood Owl is said to consist of four deep musical syllables, who-hoo-hoo-hoo (ibid.). This reminds one of the story how the sage Närada was advised to learn music from an Owl residing near the Mänasarovara lake on the Himalayas: 178 "उलूकं पश्य गत्वा त्वं यदि गाने, रता मतिः मानसोत्तरशैले तु गानबन्धुरिति स्मृतः ॥" X X "गंधर्वाः किन्नरा यक्षास्तथा चाप्सरसां गणाः” X X "गानविद्यां समापन्नाः शिक्षितास्तेन पक्षिणा" ॥ लिङ्गपुराण, II.2.7-10 The point is that the ancient Indians also appreciated the musical calls of the hated bird! Now the Western Himalayan Barred Owlet, occurring from Muree to Simla and from Garhwal to Eastern Nepal, is not only the most diurnal of all Owls but has also "a really very beautiful rippling call: a whistle consisting of notes running into one another and dying gradually away" (S. Baker in F.B.I., 2nd edn.). Similarly the Eastern Collared Pigmy Owlet of Nepal has a "rather metallic tonk-ta-tonk-tonk, high pitched (call), usually repeated many times. Often heard in the day- time" (Smythies, p. 311). The former goes by the name of in Hindi which is the same as Sansk. हुण्डुल for a small Owl. हुण्डुल (दुदु इति शब्द f) is probably an onomatopoetic word and would seem to be related to Prakrit सुंदुओ for जीर्णंघण्टा, an old or perhaps a small and slightly damaged bell. The name therefore clearly refers to the bell-like notes of the above two Owlets, and both are दुण्डुल क्षुद्रोलूक. 8. The Scops Owl is practically the same size as the common Spot- ted Owlet but unlike the latter it is entirely nocturnal and possesses well developed aigrettes which are carried in an erect position. The call is a soft and musical too-whoo or too-whit. It should be the age mentioned in frunder, after the erect ear-tufts of the bird. 9. The body-plumage of the Northern Bay Owl (11.5") is of a chestnut colour on the upper parts including the tail, and vinous pink below. It occurs in Nepal and further east in the Himalayan valleys. It is entirely nocturnal in its habits and in the day-time the most stupid and incapable of all Owls, allowing itself to be captured by the hand and, when released, 1. The bird of these verses would seem to be the Himalayan Brown Wood-Owl with a "deep musical call-who-hoo-hoo-hoo" (Smythies) Other Owls sitting dazed in the sunlight. During the breeding season it excels all other Owls in the appalling nature of its cries as if half-a-dozen cats are fighting (S. Baker). The adnouns fera (blind by day) and (having atrocious calls) found in the synonymies for the Owl are therefore more true of this than any other Owl. frere for a kind of bird (the Cat-bird) in the following could well be for this bird except for the fact that of fare in Prakrit means the flying-fox or the large fruit bat:- "बिडालोऽपि खगान्तरे"– विश्वप्रकाश. 179 The most fitting name for this Owl, however, is ars (the reddish Owl) which was emblazoned on the flag of the tribe and called ताम्रेलूक ध्वजा in Ch. 16 of कौमारिका खंड of स्कन्दपुराण. See also मत्स्यपुराण, 148.90. 10. The Indian Brown Hawk-Owl (12.5") is brown above and white marked with large drops of light brown below. It has no aigrettes and has a soft call of whoo-hoot repeated twice or thrice. It is known as in Bengal and the name corresponds to Sansk. पेचक but not (M.W. under sub sub voce). 11. The Long-eared Owl (14.5") is distinguished by long tufts, usually borne erected (Ency. Brit. 11th edn.) and is most probably the w which has served as a model for the face of a particular attendant of:- “कूर्मकुक्कुटवक्नश्च शशोलूकमुखास्तथा ।" -M.Bh. 9.45.79. Again, one of the 'måtris' of the same deity is said to have had a face like that of the शशोलूक :- “शशोलूकमुखी कृष्णा कर्णप्रावरणा तथा" । ch. 30 was in the Venkateshwara edition is a misprint. This Owl breeds. in the Himalayas and is found in the outer ranges from Kashmir to Sikkim. 12. The Short-eared Owl (15") is a winter visitor and prefers thick grassy plains of the Terai areas of North India. Its ear-tufts are so small that they are "hardly discernible even at close range" (Smythies). Its call is a shrill clear keaw, keaw (ib.) and the name (affee ध्वनियंस्य — विकाण्डटीका) for an Owl would seem to belong to it. The only other Owl having a call like the Crow's is the Snowy Owl (Para. 20 below). The correct form of the word is probably as in and aft, and like simply means an Owl in general. If so the short- eared Owl has no particular name in Sanskrit. It is however also possible that both the forms and existed and had different meanings but came later to be mixed up. HOOTING OWLS: 13. If उलूक and कौशिक are common names for all large Owls irrespective of their calls, the name धूक ( पू. पू. शब्देन फायति) is specific for
