Birds in Sanskrit Literature. 3. The Pin-tailed and the Wedge-tailed Green Pigeons are also found in North India, the former from Kumaon eastwards and the latter through- out the Himalayas and the broken country below them. They must also be regarded as gra or fear, but from the orange-pink colour of their breasts they are known as कोकला in Hindi corresponding to कोकयु and कोकदेव and probably also in Sanskrit. Their notes are sweeter than those of other birds of the class. In particular the notes of the Wedge-tailed bird are "fuller, richer, and more sweet than those of any other Green Pigeon" (S. Baker). For this reason this last bird is very much sought after as a pet. Both these species are generally seen either singly or in pairs, or in very small parties of a few birds only. In this also as in the colouring of their breasts they resemble the or birds. These two species stand mid- way in point of size between those considered earlier and the next group. 4. The largest among the Green Pigeons of North India are the Green Imperial Pigeon and Hodgson's Imperial Pigeon measuring up to 18 and 20 inches in length respectively. They occur in and east of Nepal. Both have the head, neck and the whole of the lower parts (except the tail-coverts) a beautiful pale dove-grey, vinous pink or vinous-grey with the upper parts green in the first and copper-brown in the second bird. The contrast between the darker upper plumage and the lighter head, neck and breast makes it appear as if the birds wear a light silken upper garment or scarf, thrown over the head and neck, and brought down in front upon the chest after the style of women in North India, and this accounts for their Hindi name of a from Sanskrit g for a fine upper garment; cf. qe" and "" in the following from a 254 शनैर्वजन्नेव स गौरवेण पटावृतांशो विनतार्धकाय:- 5.7. सानासयन्ती वलभीपुटस्थान् पारावतानूपुरनिस्वनेन सोपानकुक्षि प्रससार हर्षात् भ्रष्टं दुकूलान्तमचिन्तयन्ती -- 6.8. 5. Now is one of the auspicious birds mentioned in Lalitavistara. (ch. 21, p. 398) :- पटक्रौञ्चहंसकोकिलमयूराः अभिप्रदक्षिणं करोन्ति ध्रुवमस्य जयो भवत्यद्य । पटाक is also a kind of bird in शब्दार्थचिन्तामणि दुकूल and पट are almost synony- mous terms and both are frequently used in the sense of or upper garment: दुकूलं सूक्ष्मवस्त्रे स्यादुत्तरीये सितांशुके-- शब्दार्णव चण्डालस्तिमिरावगुण्ठनपटक्षेपं विधत्ते विधुः-साहित्यदर्पण, 3, under दुकूलपटपल्लवेन....कृतशिरोवेष्टन: कादम्बरी verse 76 आरोप्य उत्तरीयपटादि-सहृदयलीला, अलंकारोल्लेख, का. मा. Pt. 5 1. Sabdarnava, cited by Pathaka on Meghadüta, 65, 2. Kadambari, Kale's edition, Pt. 1. p. 33. 255 Pigeons and Doves पट (पटेन आवृतः हव), therefore, is either or both of these birds, and so also पटाक, All Pigeons and Doves are bad-tempered and quarrelsome but these are an exception, and as peace-loving birds, have been selected as one of the "मङ्गल्प पक्षिण:” to herald the coming of Buddha, the Prince of Peace in ललित- firere 6. पालकाप्य mentions वर्धमान कपोत as a "high-flying bird" in हृस्त्यायुर्वेद, 8.58, and we describes a particular method of salutation in which a person after producing a clapping sound with the palms of his hands holds them like the wings of a वर्धमान कपोत :- "खटिका वर्द्धमानेन कपोताख्येन वा पुनः" नाट्यशास्त्र, 28.70 All Pigeons and Doves make a clapping sound at the beginning of a flight, and this is what S. Baker has to say about the Green Imperial Pigeon : "When starting from a tree or suddenly frightened into diverting their course, the wings beat loudly against one another and make a sound audi- ble at a great distance." afer in the sense of "clapping" refers to this sound so that it is incorrect of M. Williams to treat af as a com- pound, must go with as an adjective. The epithet is indicative of the size as well as the auspicious nature of the bird, and as Te is the largest (and auspicious) of all the Green Pigeons, it would appear that the name also refers to these large and beautiful birds. 7. The wild or Blue-Rock Pigeon and similar forms are ¶rd or • कपोत (भुकाकः नीलकपोते"-शब्दार्थचितामणि) 1 and भूमिणय ( M.W.) while the domestic Pigeon of similar or different colours and derived from the wild stock is the of Caraka and the poets : धूपैर्जालविनिःसृतैर्वलभयः संदिग्धपारावताः । बन्धनभ्रष्टो गृहकपोतको बिडालिकालोके पतितः । विक्रमोर्वशीय, 3.2 मालविकाग्निमित्र, 4 The wild Pigeon has been nesting and roosting in high buildings in populous towns as a semi-domesticated bird from very ancient times and has been mentioned under the name of a by Kalidasa and other poets :- तां कस्यांचिद्भवनवलभौ सुप्तपारावतायाम्-मेघदूत, 1.41 Garden set off with white-washed temples, and the latter with the Blue- Rock Pigeons :- 1. The lexical verses for पारावत and कपोत at p. 296 of धन्वन्तरिनिघण्टु have become disjointed and corrupt but the terms and we clearly refer to the colour of the plumage of the Blue Rock Pigeon when on the ground or perching and during flight respectively. When on the wing the bird looks ash-grey chiefly because of the lighter colour of the under-surface of the wings. get of the first verse (56) refers to the semi-wild birds taking possession, as it were, of the various parts of a building.
