282 Birds in Sanskrit Literature 5. The Mountain Quail (10") found only within certain areas in the outer Himalayas (e.g. neighbourhood of Nainital and Mussoorie) is the गिरिवर्तक (v.I. गिरिवतिका) of चरक and fगरिया of सुश्रुत and कल्पद्रुकोश (“गिरिशा गिरिशायिका" — a bird breeding on the mountains; cf. पुष्करशायिका, कुशेशय etc. as bird names). डल्हणाचार्य equates गिरिशा with गिरिवर्तिक and gives पर्वतवाही (वासी ?) its behaviour it closely resembles as an alternative. Bustard-Quail as it refuses to fly until almost trodden upon, pitching into the grass again after a short flight and would therefore appear to be the बृहल्लाव of भावप्रकाश, artsfart 121. See Section D paras 5-10 for Bustard-Quails. 6. The Hill Partridges are confined to the Himalayas only and do not occur in the plains or the peninsula of India. Their call is a low soft whistle, single or double, quite unlike the call of the Grey and Black Partridges. Unlike these again, they normally perch on trees. The Common Hill Partridge and the Rufous-throated Partridge, as also some of the varieties of the Eastern Himalayas, are known in Hindi by the name ft. M. Williams gives शङ्करप्रिय (शङ्कर शिव ईश्वर) and the वैजयन्ती has ईश्वरप्रिय for a Partridge, both obvious synonyms. Now the term f in a fe may optionally stand first as गुडप्रिय or प्रियगुडः 1 so that ईश्वरप्रिय would be the same as far and this latter would seem to have given us the bird's Hindi name, पिउरा (प्रिय-पिय- पिउ + ईसुर, पियेसुरा- पिट्टरा-पिउरा ?). Apart from this inexpert playing with etymology there is a reason for this Sanskrit name to denote the Hill Partridge, viz., that both Lord Siva and this bird, being permanent residents of the Himalayas, are supposed to be born companions. fra (or frèvre) may therefore denote the Hill Partridge. 7. The Chukar is a beautiful Partridge of an ashy and buff colour with a black gorget and red bill and feet. It is rather lucky in that it has been allowed practically to retain its Sanskrit name in English², 3 is said to be a bird resembling a चकोर (“उपचक्रश्चकोरभेद:"-चक्रदत on चरक ). The Seesee Partridge stands nearest to the in physical characters and shares a common habitat in the hills of the Punjab even taday. In olden times it may well have ranged along the hilly country further east. It, therefore, appears to be the उपचक्र of चरक, सुश्रुत and महाभारत :- “चकोरैरुपचक्रंश्च पक्षिभिर्जीवजीवकैः" 3.178.7. and are again mentioned together in a very ancient work : "उपचक्रचकोराणां हंससारसयोरपि"- भेलसं हिता, 174 is also the Sheldrake (Art. 84-C). 1. Panini 2.2.35. 2. According to poetic tradition, based upon the bird's habit of roosting on open ground at night, the T is said to be greatly devoted to the moon and to live upon moon-beams. The epithet applied to a man or woman implies his or her intense desire to look constantly at the beautiful moon-like face of the beloved and has no relation to the shape of the eyes: सा च तेन समानाय रूपयौवनशालिने । दत्ता बराङ्गना नेव चफोरामृतरश्मये ॥ -कथासरित्सागर, 77.50; sre abso ib. 76.11 and 93.45. Peafowls, Junglefowls, Pheasants, and Quails 8. The Black and Grey Partridges of north India are offert or simply वित्तिर (v.l. तित्तिरि) and गौरतित्तिर or कपिजल respectively, and have been well- known in Sanskrit literature from the Rgveda onwards. The former has given its name to the afererefiger of the Yajur Veda (hence called also याजुषः) and the connected उपनिषद् and आरण्यक. The beautiful verses of the खिलसूक्त of the Rgveda addressed to the कपिज्जल a bird of the farmlands who 'sticks to the farmer as close as he can' have been given in the Introduc- tion and need not be repeated here. पारस्कर गृह्यसूत्र (1.19.8) advises the flesh of the plump and contented-looking Grey Partridge (fr) to be fed to a baby-boy at his a ceremony if the parents want him to grow up in opulence as a well-fed and happy young man. Other names for the Grey Partridge are जाङ्गल ("जाङ्गलो निर्जलदेश:" and therefore a bird living in such country. In this sense, the term probably also means the Himalayan Snow Partridge, a bird of the snow-line, another type of a country), and कपिश तित्तिर (कपिश grey ). The Black Partridge is also चित्रपक्ष ( of veriegated or spotted plumage) and its spotted plumage is accurately described in the way. The name frater as an adnoun would also include the Painted Partridge which occurs south of the Gangetic plain. 9. The Grey Partridge or af, being always associated with crops. and his breeding season falling in spring (March-April), he is dedicated to the beneficent deities, the : and to the deity presiding over the spring season :- "वसूनां कपिञ्जल:" – VS. 24, 38; TS. 5.5.16. "वसन्ताय कपिञ्जलानालभते" - Ibid. 24.20 The Black Partridge, fafafe, continues to breed till July when the rains set. in and Nothern Painted Partridge, and allied form, begins to breed with the break of the rains and this fact coupled with its black colour accounts for naming this bird either for the rain-deity or the - “वर्षाभ्यः तित्तिरीन्" - VS. 24, 20, "रुद्राणां तित्तिरी" -TS. 5.5.16 As food for the prowling snake:- 283 "मण्डूको मूषिका तित्तिरिस्ते सर्पाणां" -Ibid. 24.36 10. The Kayah or Swamp Partridge occurs from the Gangetic alluvial plain eastwards. It is known as क्यार in Bengal and कोडरा ( कुतितरा-कुतित्तिर? ) in Assam. It is brown above with buffy white bars and white to pale buff below. The male has only short blunt spurs but is the most pugna- cious of all the Francolin Partridges. It is probably the faf of as the brief description of it in कल्पद्रुकोश, 1. "यस्तु स्यात्पाण्डुकपिलः स कुतित्तिरः" agrees very well with the colour pattern of the birds's plumage. 8,20 mentions three different Partridges according to the commentator 5.5.4.6.
