Birds in Sanskrit Literature arerfa. The first is evidently the common domestic fowl, but the second, as its descriptive name shows, is the Ascel type of Game-Cock which too is a very ancient Indian breed. The name fa signifies a long-necked and long-legged bird which the Ascel certainly is and calls it wegage (fighting Cock):- 272 “यत्क्लीबभंटकुक्कुटोत्कटरणक्रीडा समादिश्यते । •यन्मूखः सुखलीलया कविशुकालापश्चिरं चयंते ॥” It is doubtful whether the Aseel is a descendant of a larger wild species now extinct (Gallus giganteus of Temminck) or was evolved by selection from the existing Red Junglefowl. Probably it was imported very early into India from the Malay country. Anyway, the Common Cock has been a great favourite with the Indo-Aryans and no royal house-hold was without its Fowl-run, and even the Army carried a complement of Cocks during campaigns to strike the early hour, as it were, for everybody to get ready in time for the day's march or action. The very best birds were selected for breeding and their good points have been briefly stated by ff in his far, and what he says good humouredly and rather affectionately about a good hen would be welcomed as a flattering compliment by any pretty young lady proud of her charms:-- "कुक्कुटी च मृदुचारुभाषिणी स्निग्धमूर्तिरुचिराननेक्षणा " - चतुर्वर्ग संग्रह -- 62.3. 2. Returning to the Junglefowl, adnouns like चर्मचूड, ताम्रचूड, चरणायुध, विष्किर कालज्ञ, मणिकण्ठ, etc. would be common to both varieties of it, and if the colour epithets given above used in ifgar are taken over, the Red bird would be the बादर कुक्कुट and the Grey bird, यवग्रीव कक्कुट Apart from the differences in colour-pattern, however, the two can be told apart from their voices. The call of the Red Junglefowl resembles that of tame birds. except for the concluding note of the Cock which is shorter. The Crow of the Grey Junglefowl on the other hand is quite distinct-"a broken and imperfect kind of crow quite unlike the call of the Red Junglefowl" (Jerdon). Now and are two names for the Common Cock and they evi- dently signify a bird with a full voice (graf). As against these, there is for a kind of bird' which is probably the Grey Junglefowl. If 50, पूर्णक कुक्कुट and स्वरभङ्गी कुक्कुट would be the most fitting names for the 1. 2.3 (Kavyamála Pt. 5). 2. p. 239 et seq. describes in detail the various kinds of domestic cocks, their maintenance, and training for the arena. It mentions the Aseel as age and it is interesting to note that this particular Cock is still known as "r" in cock-fighting circles of Nagpur, Maharashtra, 2. See, qof in M. Williams. Peafowls, Junglefowls, Pheasants, and Quails 273 two varieties of Junglefowl found in India. The great esteem in which the Cock was held by the Indo-Aryans may be seen from the epithet of fo (honey-tongued) applied to it in the war with reference to its announcing the time for the morning sacrifice. 3. The Red Junglefowl is mentioned in literature under the names वनकुक्कुट, कृरुवाकु (imitative name ?), ताम्रचूड etc. The name शूलिक refers to its long and sharp spurs and it is possible that names like शूर, मूलिक, शौण्ड, दक्ष and particularly are (and i.c. tall or standing erect) are meant for the fighting or Game-Cock known as in Hindi. Of a thinner build to look at, it is all muscle and a very popular bird, for cock-fights. Like the Peafowl the Cock too has numerous names in Sanskrit and they are mostly self-explanatory. would seem to be a left-handed proud strutting gait-a petty bird attempting to play the Peacock. The Rāmāyaṇa mentions the Junglefowl in its natural haunts:- (petty Peacock) for the domestic Cock compliment to its gaudy plumage and “लताकष्टकसद्ध कीर्णा: कृकवाकूपनादिताः निरपाश्च सुदुर्गाश्च मार्गा दुःखमतो वनम् ।" 2.28.10. It is incorrect to translate in this passage as the Peacock. 4. The Bhutan Peacock-Pheasant has the upper plumage light buffy- brown: the feathers of the mantle, almost all the wing-coverts and the inner secondaries have violet green-blue ocelli at their tips, each ocellus sur- rounded with a narrow brownish black band and a second broader one of white; and similar but larger and oval ocelli on the tail feathers. "The display of this Pheasant is very beautiful, both wings being fully expanded with tail, so that the whole looks like an ocellated fan. The wide tail is used as a screen for the young who move about under its shelter close to the heels of the parent" (Smythies). A fuller and graphic account of the display of this Pheasant is given by Stuart Baker in his Game Birds of India, Burma and Ceylon (3.117). In a small open space the pair "scr- atched about for insects and then, without a moment's warning, the Cock- bird began to display to the hen. At first he confined his attention to running round her with tail partially extended and slightly raised and both wings drooping and spread. In a minute or two, however, he ceased to run round and sank slowly to the ground until his breast rested on it. His tail and wings were then raised until the three were fully spread in the manner of a fan, the tips of the inner secondaries of the wings almost meeting above and in front of the tail, whilst the shoulders were brought down to the ground. The head was then withdrawn momentarily into the soft mass of feathers, but immediately protruded again on the hen moving". 5. The short extract from Smythies is sufficient identify the bird with the Sanskrit बीजन ( a fan ) for a kind of Pheasant and जीवजीवक (v.I. 1. 1.1.4.18. 2. See abo वाज० संहिता I.16.
