190 Birds in Sanskrit Literature in Hindi which is the same as कालगूध of ब्रह्मपुराण, 214, 93-94 named as one of the myrmidons of god Yama in hell, detailed to torture persons found guilty of certain offences. The arqu (dark-brown; cf. art, the night) of the following would also appear to be this bird : "उदस्य श्यावो विधुरी गृध्रौ द्यामिव पेततुः" AV. 7.95.1. (2) The Black Vulture (32") is distinguished by his red head and neck and red wattless behind the ears. He is a bird of solitary habits and confined to the outer Himalayas and the plains of India. At a carrion- feast other members of the fraternity often "hold this bird in wholesome respect and give way before its superior spirit and demeanour" (Whistler), and the red of his upper parts and the ear-lappets (gs) being distinctive account for his names like कुण्डली दीपक (flame-red; cf. Prakrit दीवओ - दीपक ), and सुमुख in the list of names of the progeny of गरुड in महाभारत, 5.101,9-12; रक्तोत्तमाङ्ग red-headed; रक्ताङ्ग in M. Williams; cf. रातंग and लालमायाशकुनि in Bengali; and fr-or off-:- “रक्तोत्तमाङ्गः क्रव्यादो गृधः परमभीषणः” – M. Bh. 7.175.18. “कङ्कगृध्राच कणिकाः” – ब्रह्माण्डपुराण, Pt. 2,7.448. "काक (कङ्क ? ) गृधाश्य कणिनः"–वायुपुराण, Ch. 69.327. For the mythological explanation why this Himalayas the reader is referred to Art. 1-B. deserted the higher The carrion-eating forg: of RV. 10.87.7, AV. 8.3.7, and T. Samhità, 5.5.16, rendered as a particular bird of a reddish colour by on AV. and as spotted kites (?) by Griffith would appear to be this Vulture. If, on the other hand, it is an animal, the name may possibly be the same as the later fufe or fufe for the fox or jackal. The interpretation of or T.S. as 'the red-faced monkey' is impossible as no monkey is known to be a carrion-eater. (3) The White-backed Vulture (35") is of a dark leaden colour with a conspicuous large white patch across the rump, white lining to the wings and white flanks. He is clearly the fafanfare of afer. efgar, 5.5.20 from 'arm-pit or waist, also flank'; cf. f, 'wearing a golden girdle'. कक्ष the name refers either to the rump as the bird's waist or to his fanks. The name सुपार्श्व for a son of सम्पाति in रामायण, 4.59,8 also refers to him. This complets the list of q: as dark or brown coloured Vultures. (4) The Griffon (Gyps fulvus, 41"-47") occurs in India in three forms or geographical races, viz., the European, the Indian, and the Himalayan, but they resemble one another so closely that they are not ordinarily separable in the field (Whistler). The head, body and the front part of wings are a dirty white and the remainder of the plumage is brownish grey and black. In the Himalayan form (44"-49") the contrast between Vultures and Lammergeyer 191 the whitish under body and the black wings is conspicuous during flight. The bill is deep and laterally compressed. The Griffons are in the habit of congregating in large numbers fixed resting places on rocky cliffs, but if a good meal is obtained in the plains they assemble on trees. They also breed in colonies on cliffs; cf. que for a fig-tree and que, for a mountain on which Vultures cangregate or breed in numbers. They are evidently the or(-) of the verse quoted in para. 4 above, and the g (having a high or deep beak) of get which also refers to their great size and gregarious habits : "अपि सङ्घातचारी स्यात् मेस्तुण्डो महाखग: " The Griffon is always well represented at a carrion-feast and this fact accounts the punishment in store for a flesh-eating glutton in his next birth- "पाण्डुर: परमांसभुक्"गरुडपुराण, 2.2,71. This vulture is the वायुवेग and af of Mahabharata, 5.101 and is also the basis for the mythological सम्पाति (flying or settling down together), brother of जटायु :- "गृधौ हो दृष्टपूर्वी मे मातरिश्वसमो जवे ज्येष्ठोऽवितस्त्वं सम्पाते ! जटायुरनुजस्तव" - रामायण, 4.60, 19-20 (5) The Northern Long-billed Vulture (Gyps indicus, 38") is again a pale coloured but much smaller bird than the Griffon. In general colouration he varies from dark to buffish brown, has no feathers at all on the head and scarcely any down on the neck, and differs in this respect from all the preceding birds. He is known as in Hindi corresponding to Skt. , 'rendered as a vulture or kite' in M. Williams. In the follow- ing equation from fet w is specific for a particular kind of bird, and the नामचन्द्रिका commentary on the विकाण्डशेष also renders शकुन as a Vulture and the name should therefore belong to this bird : "शकुनस्तु पुमान् पक्षिमात्रपक्षिविशेषयो: " has been extended to the White-backed Vulture In Bengal the name as well. (6) The White Scavenger Vulture or the Neophron occurs in two sizes (24 & 26") in India. The larger Egyptian variety ranges from about Delhi to the extreme North-West and the smaller is common throughout the country but is rare in the territory of the former. Both haunt towns and villages and live largely on human excreta and dung and occasionally on carrion. The name a really belongs to the Bearded. Vulture but has been applied to this bird as well because of his white plumage. Strictly speaking, however, his size and habits fully justify the more correct name भासक (अल्पायें, फुत्सितायें-कन्) for him, as indeed he is called in the following verse : "कङ्क गृध वट श्येन भास भासक बहिण:" Bhagavata. 3.10,23 (Bengal edition, cited in under wg).
