234 Birds in Sanskrit Literature probable that the first quarter of the above half verse gives only for (calling for long) as an additional name for fre (the Kite) and the second refers to a Kite-like bird not mentioned by a, viz. the Kestrel. That annotators have differed among themselves along the above lines (i.e. in the way I do) is proved by the remarks of me at several places in his अमरविवेक commentary on the अमरकोश (Bombay, 1907). 19. The Pied Kingfisher "flies over water at a height of some ten or twenty feet above the surface, and suddenly, catching sight of a shoal of fish below, checks itself dead in mid-air and hovers with the wings vibrating rapidly and the bill pointing perpendicularly downwards, as if taking aim" (Whistler). This action of the bird has been described in e as below: “कपदिकः । आकाशे सुचिरं भ्रान्त्वा जले पतति लोष्टवत्" ॥ The point to be noted is the use of a derivative of root vr to describe the act of hovering in the air. I therefore suggest that af (hovering in the sky; घ्रान्ति: अनवस्थितिः हेमचन्द्र and विश्व; quivering M.W.; cf. Windhover) is the Kestrel. Salim Ali also speaking of the hovering flight of certain Indian birds remarks that the Kestrel and the Pied King-fisher are the foremost exponents of it-The Book of Indian Birds, 4th edn., page 268. The Brahminy Kite which flies in circles like the Common Kite is named eft (loving the sky) which is certainly different from afas explained above. Turning to it I fail to see how this term can apply to a Kite unless it is translated as a bird that cries or calls at the nest' which how- ever is a trait common to all the birds of the family. On the other hand the term may very appropriately mean- "कण्ठे पर्वतकण्ठे नीडं करोति योऽसौ"2 i.c. a bird that builds its nest in rocky cliffs, and the Kestrel regularly does so. "The eyrie" of a Kestrel "is in our area (India) almost invariably in holes and rocky ledges of cliffs" (Whistler). It is submitted therefore that the very striking peculiarity of our bird has won for it several interesting and aptly suggestive names. 20. The Himalayan Red-legged Falconet (7"), the 'White-naped Pigmy Falcon' of Jerdon is a mere midget amongst Falcons, and yet it is a bold little bird, the carriage and the wonderful eye of the fiercest Eagle, and preys in the wild state upon small birds and at times those bigger than itself. It can also be trained for hawking as we have it from Jerdon that it was so used by the Raja of Rangpur (Assam) and F.B.I., —-page 73; regarding the two चत्वारोऽपि पर्याया 1. Referring to 16 synonyms for गृह, and 4 for वास be says विशतिर्नामानि गृहस्येत्यन्ये - सूतिकागृहम्"we have यवानिका" we have यवानी द्वयस्य वासगृहमरिष्टं इत्यन्ये -p. synonymics, "गर्भागारं "अजमोदा तूग्रगन्धा ब्रह्मदर्भा 74; on द्वे द्वे नामनी इत्यपि मतम्- . 112.; again we have at p. 204 चत्वारि धूल्या, द्वे पिष्टस्य षडपि
- and so on in several other synonymies.
2. Substituted for "कण्ठे प्रासादवृक्षादीनां शिरोभागे नोडमस्य" given as an alternative explanation of कण्ठनीडक in श. कल्प.; cf. also कुण्डकीट-फुण्डे नरककुण्डे कीट इव-ibid. Eagles, Falcons and Allied Birds 235 first edition, also records a similar report. It is known as in Hindi (fr. Sansk. fe closed fist) according to Jerdon. This name not only emphasizes its small size but probably also the fact that when trained for hawking it was held in the fist and tossed like a stone towards the intended quarry. This style of throwing a Falcon is adopted with the Shikra as well and is described as fets in . ., 6.29. It is therefore highly probable that this Falconet was known as मुष्टि or मुष्टिक in Sanskrit as well. वामन as a descendant of Garuda in the MBh. list should refer to members of the Falconet (Microhierax) group. 21. It is recorded in F.B.I., second edition, about the Eastern Red- legged Falcon (12") that it is a migratory bird and moves south in vast flocks from its breeding grounds in Siberia and Mangolia in winter. One of their routes passes through Cachar in Assam and as they roost in large. numbers on the bamboos for the night the Hill Tribes manage to catch them for food and also for sale. The wax also prescribes the flesh of a certain type of small Falcon, श्येनक (ह्रस्व: श्येनः श्येनक:) for a patient suffering from piles in अर्शोऽधिकार, 2.5.121. It would thus appear that the term श्येनक stands for the Red-legged Falconet of North India as the counterpart of the small Siberian Falcon eaten by the Hill Tribes of Assam. III. HAWKS Hawks वाजि-पक्षिण: Genus Astur Goshawk Crested Shikras Goshawks चुलाङ्क सञ्चान याजि aufer बाज, वाजी, प्राजिक, The Crested Goshawk माणिक or अघम वेसर Northern Crested Goshawk मध्यमवेसर, grereenfuser Genus Accipiter (i) Asiatic & Indian for Sparrow Hawks | औरङ्गन,, (ii) Southern Besra Sp-Hawk... शुद्ध वेसर (iii) North Besra Sp. Hawk- घावन वाजि (iv) Japanese, Pale Eastern, Indo-Chinese fa Sp. Hawks anfer Note- The Shikras and Hawks of genus Accipiter are the कुलिङ्गका: of चरक- erfgar. 1. All Indian Hawks have been designed by nature on a more or less the same pattern and their body-plumage is ashy or slaty-grey to grey-brown above and white or rufescent below marked with brown or rufescent bars or streaks. Unlike the Falcons the bill is furnished with a festoon instead of a 'tooth'. They have been classified in the Fauna of British India (Birds), 2nd Edn. under two main genera, the Astur and the Accipiter.
