274 Birds in Sanskrit Literature जीवजीवक) defined as " मयूरतुल्यपतक", i.e., having ocelli in the plumage like the Peacock, by in his notes on . The second name is from the hen-bird's habit of protecting her young under her tail when out feeding. ga refers to the effect of smoke issuing from poisoned food placed on fire on the re and this Pheasant and advises a king to keep them for testing his food:- "चकोरस्याक्षि वैराग्यं जायते क्षिप्रमेव तु ... fara aftaufferent. सन्निकृष्टांस्ततः कुर्याद्राज्ञस्तान् मृगपक्षिण: ' The belief has been referred to in 2 and in a where several other birds also are included. Despite the difference maintained in g and later lexicons like far and fat make the name applicable to चकोर, (“जीवज्जीवश्वकोरे न") apparently because चकोर like the other, helps to save life: Cf.” “प्राणदोऽपि जीवकः "– शाश्वतकोश, 6. The Peacock Pheasants are frequently mentioned with other birds in descriptions of Himalayan scenery, e.g. the tree-perching habit of these birds has been correctly referred to: "रक्तपीतारुणाः पार्थ पादपाग्रगताः खगाः । परस्परमुदीक्षन्ते बहवो जीवजीविकाः ॥” The hermitage of दधीचि:- - महाभारत, 3.159.87-88 "षट्पदोद्गीतनिनदैविघुष्टं सामगैरपि । पुस्कोकिलरवोन्मिश्रं जीवजीवकनादितम् ॥” महाभारत, 3.101.14. A pair of pet birds are described as perching the top of rock in a garden in the कादम्बरी “विषमशिलाच्छेदोपविष्टजीवञ्जीवकयुगल ..." p. 97. The picture of the Peacock Pheasant drawn by a to illustrate a moral in based on actual observation of the Cock-bird's display before the hen, is simply unique and fully bears out what Stuart Baker says about it: 1. कल्पस्थान, 1.30-33. 2. 6.23.108. "अवशः खलु काममूर्छया प्रियया श्येनभयाद्विनाकृतः । न धृति समुपैति न ह्रियं करुणं जीवति जीवजीवकः ॥” –8.20. The poet has not only seen the display, but what is more, the occasional 3. 220, 18-21. 4. Also सुश्रुत, 5.1.30-32 पद्मपुराण, सृष्टिखण्ड 42, 65; and हरिवंश, 3.41.76. Peafowls, Junglefowls, Pheasants, and Quails 275 tragic end of it. Just when the Cock mad with love forgets himself and all else about him, he is suddenly struck down by an Eagle from the air. For aff as the Pheasant-tailed Jacana see Art. 60. 7. The Cheer and Kalij Pheasants have feathered faces with only the red orbital skin bare, and are the रक्तवत्मक (कालश) of चरक and रक्तवर्त्म of मत्स्यपुराण' The name Kalij in English is borrowed from Hindi कालिज (कालज्ञ) for the birds. "Kalij Pheasants are not nearly such noisy birds as are Junglefowl but call, one can hardly call it crowing, pretty regularly during the breeding season. This call or crow seems to be uttered only during the mornings. and evenings, never in the middle of the day. A Cock Kalij only calls on his roosting perch before he gets down from it in the morning, and after he has returned to in the evening before settling down for the night".2 It will be seen that the Kalij series of birds are there i.e. birds. 'who know the time when to call' as against the domestic Cock who crows all times of day. Again, the Kalij are not such good fighters as the others. These differences fully justify the two separate synonymies for Cocks in fer which regards the common domestic and Aseel Cocks at as er (expert fighter) and its (proud of bearing), and separates the feftare, कालश, कृकवाकुand चरणायुध for the wild varieties :- "कुक्कुटस्ताम्रचूडश्च दक्षः शौण्डोऽथ विष्किरः । कालज्ञः कृकवाकुश्च नियोद्धा चरणायुधः ॥" The mixing up of the names of the wild varieties is understandable. The Kalij Pheasants as a group are therefore, रक्तवरक or कालश-कुक्कुट, 8. The Pine tree is known as in Hindi and or w in Sanskrit. The Cheer Pheasant (34"-40") also is for (from ) in Hindi so that Sanskrit for a kind of bird' is no other than this Pheasant and M. Williams' rendering as 'Pavo Bicalcaratus' (the Peacock Pheasant) is in- correct. Another Hindi name for the Cheer is which is the same as Sanskrit काहल (कुं भूमि हलति) or रसाखन for a Cock. निघण्टरलाकर defines काहल as a very large cock Sanskrit names for it are therefore, सरल or काहल-कुक्कुट. 9. The White-crested Kalij Pheasant, known as fer, g or we in Hindi, apparently derives these names from Sanskrit, (a Cock), कुक्कुट and कालसूर (काल black, and शूर a Cock) respectively. Perhaps कलज like कालिज is a Prakrit form of कालज्ञ for a Cock. सुश्रुत has यवालक (यव barley and, therefore, of a white or whitish colour, and are a lock of hair, a crest) for a kind of gallinaceous bird, and the white crest of this Pheasant contrasting with its black body fully supports the name यवालक (फुफ्फुट) for it. 10. The Nepal-, the Black-backed-, and the Black-breasted-Kalij Pheasants are closely related birds, principally of a dark or black colour and 1. 118.53. 2. Stuart Baker in Indian Game Birds, III. pp. 279-280.
