240 Birds in Sanskrit Literature औरङ्गना धावनाश्च प्रतिष्ठानास्तथैव च । शिकाराश्चेति वासानां चतुर्धा जातिरुच्यते ॥ 4.41 Eliminating the शिकारा: (the Shikras) we are left with the औरङ्गन, घावन, and af Hawks each of which is supposed to be of more than one variety. according to their flight, courage or dash and colour. The aft, i.e. the proper would seem to be the two kinds of Sparrow-Hawks named against (iv) above while the ur and sfert types are rather difficult of identification. The ओरङ्गल and ठरङ्गल of वर्णरत्नाकर would seem to correspond to stand of the .. and from the delicate build and small size but excellent speed of the described in v. m. 4. 43 they seem to be the Northern Besra Sparrow-Hawk which is smaller than even a Shikra but very speedy on the wing. The sfeer type described as very weak and timid and coming from art would seem to refer to some foreign Hawks, e.g. the Japanese, the Pale Eastern, and the Indo-Chinese Sparrow-Hawks not used for hawking.¹ 10. The name are for the Asiatic and Indian Sparrow-Hawks seems at first sight to be a Hindi corruption from Persian Båshå but it is more than probable that like the Pers. Bäz (fr. Sansk. r) 'Basha' too is from Sansk. TT from ara (?, a nest) after the practice of falconers to prefer young birds taken from the nest. they can be more easily trained than the adults captured in the ordinary way. This practice is referred to in the following verse: ये श्येना नीडनिलया लब्धाः प्राग्बन्धपोषिताः । सुशिष्या इव ते श्येनाः शिक्षां गृह, णन्ति सत्वरम् ॥–श्ये. शा. 6.6.7 सच्चाणा वेसरा ग्राह्या नीडस्थाश्च करग्रहै: मानसोल्लास, Vol. 2, p. 267. On the other hand the term may be from root -, to make a sound- "वास्यन्ते रुवन्तीति वासा: पक्षिण इत्यन्य:"गण. महोदधि, verse 296. As compared with the Goshawk the Sparrow-Hawk is a rather noisy bird, a point stressed in ..: "वासा मधुरवाग् धन्यो, वाजी मूकोऽतिशोभनः" – 4.54 In this second sense also the name aer would be a purely Sanskrit name for the above mentioned Sparrow-Hawks.² 11. The eg lists are as one of the birds of prey and it obviously refers to the Hawks mentioned as बेसरा: both in मानसोल्लास and श्यैनिक शास्त्र, The latter distinguishes three different kinds of the Hawk: 1. In the alternative the fast: may be the Harriers. See next sub-section. 2. The te does not mention the TT Hawks, which it probably includes x type and these it recommends, as we have seen, to be taken from the nest. On the other hand, unlike the vif it keeps the crested Goshawks in a separate [category as the यवलकष्ठिका in the Eagles, Falcons and Allied Birds वेसरास्त्रिविधास्तेषां पृथङ नामाभिधीयते । स्थूलोऽधमो माणिकस्तु चूलिकाङ्कस्तु मध्यमः । शुद्धस्तु वासाप्रतिमः पक्षाधिकोऽपि साहसे ॥ 4.47-48 (i) माणिक वेसर, probably the Crested Goshawk of South India which is गोर- or frà in Hindi. It is described as a i.e. dull or stupid, and also as are (mean, low, worthless), because of its low teachability for the chase as in nature it prefers to take frogs and lizards though it also kills smal birds, rats, etc. (ii) farg or yang occupies an intermediate position (T), and it should be the Northern Crested Goshawk known as feare in Hindi, the same as चूनाङ्कित, from Sansk. चूडा, चूड, चूल, a crest. It is a bolder bird and kills Partridges, Green Pigeons and even larger hirds. Another Hindi name for it is जमलकंठी corresponding to यवलकण्ठिक of मानसोल्लास. This name would seem to refer to the dark shafts on the neck-feathers looking like dark or barley markings. (iii) The third is the rec said to be as good as the ("वासाप्रतिम") and therefore the best of the series. It is most probably the Southern Besra Hawk, known not only as the speediest of all Sparrow-Hawks (Jerdon) but also a bold bird, and for this reason a favourite with falconers for small birds like Quails and Doves. The epithet refer may also refer to its very noisy habit. Just as the terms and it mean both a spirited horse and the powerful Go- shawk, the name et (a speedy) also is common to the mule and these lower grade Sparrow-Hawks. The Besra series are also more difficult to train for sport (Jerdon) and the name for them perhaps implies. their 'mulish' nature as well. 12. The firm type of Hawks are said to be of several kinds with differ- ences in size, body-colouration and habits, and breeding in different parts of the country. In a word different species of the bird are indicated : अनेकदेशजन्मानस्तेन देशस्वभावतः । नानासंस्थानचेष्टाभिः सिचाना नैकधा स्मृताः ॥ 241 श्ये. शा. 4.49 The generic name सिचान (Hindi सचान; चिचान of poet कबीर quoted in हि. श. सा.) is a Prakrit form of Sansk. सञ्चान श० कल्प० (सम्यक् चानयति, excellent killers), defined as a brave Hawk: "महावीरस्तु गरुडे सञ्चानविहगेऽपि च" मेदिनीकोश 1. cf. "बांसा बटेर सब ओ सिचान धूती रु चिप्पिका चटक भान" quoted in हि. श. सा. is Hindi for the male Shikra in F.B.I. In the verse. under forfra. ferrest, feroces therefore fe is the female & ffer the male Shikra; cf. SK. fer for a female Hawk falcon; also "वाजिका पक्षिजातिः स्यात्"—अनेकार्बध्वनिमज्जरी, verse 185. 2. The Shikra is a noisy bird and has a loud double call-tui tui-which may also be rendered as चुइ बु. चिचुकार of वर्णरत्नाकर may be this Hawk and it is likely that a non-Sanskrit imitative name like f- for it has been Sanskritised into with a plausible etymology; ef. Hindi fafara-to shout.
