324 बाष्पच्छन्नान्यरण्यानि यवगोधूमवन्ति च । शोभन्तेऽभ्युदिते सूर्ये नवद्भिः क्रौञ्चसारसैः ।। Birds in Sanskrit Literature मत्तक्रौञ्चावघुष्टेषु कलमापक्वपाण्डुषु । निविष्ट रमणीयेषु वप्रेष रमते मनः ॥ जलप्रसन्नं कुसुमप्रहासं कौश्वस्वनं शालिवनं विपक्वम् । harems. रामायण, 3.16.16. हरिवंश, 2.16.21. रामायण, 4.30.53. The Common Crane and the Sarus were among the pet birds of Royalty, e.g., the palaces of Queen Kaikeyi and Crown-Prince Rama had them: शुकर्बाहममायुक्तं क्रौञ्चहंसरुतायुतम् । सारसैश्च मयूरेश्च विनद्भिविराजितम् | Ibid. 2.15.34. रामायण, 2.10.12. The well-known hetaera, वसन्तसेना, of मच्छकटिक maintained a large aviary induding the area as a domestic pet: "एतेऽपरे वृद्धमहल्लका इव इतस्ततः संचरन्ति गृहसारसा: *।" Act 4, after verse 28. Compare the appreciative remarks of S. Baker quoted in the footnote to para. 8.
- This would seem to contain an ironical hit at the institution of eunuchs in Royal
63 BUSTARDS 1. This family of birds is a link between the Cranes on one side and the Plovers on the other, the Stone Plovers being intermediate between them and the Plovers proper. Bustards are endowed with large wings and stand rather high on the leg; have small heads but rather long necks. They are ground birds affecting dry open country or grass lands. With broad and flat backs, their carriage, with neck and legs perpendicular to the body, is peculiarly their own The larger birds of the group fly heavily like herons but with necks and legs stretched out like the Storks, and "in general superficial appearance they are perhaps, most like the gallinaceous birds, especially in regard to their heads and wings" (Stuart Baker). When disturbed they run at great speed. Their young, like the common fowl's, are hatched covered with down, and can run about almost immediately after leaving the egg. Six species of Bustard occur in India, three of them as winter migrants and three as permanent residents. 2. The following Sanskrit names refer to these birds some of which, being crested, have been regarded as a kind of Peacock :>- and are (- a field or open plain, therefore, a bird that fre- quents these) as faf birds in and . These two names belong to the Great Bustard and the Florican respectively as we shall see presently. गोदवेडक and सारङ्ग (pied, or a horse) as प्रवुद and विकिर respectively in g. These are the Great and the Little Bustard respectively. It also is interesting to note that Persian 'kodan' like means both 'a Bustard' and 'a pack pony'. T, in M. Williams is an adnoun for the Great Bustard; . where and , adnoun for are the Little Bustard, in तिलशिखी are listed with synonyms for मयूर. agadta, in the Synonymous list for a Peacock in afa. fa-arafor the same as गुरुकण्ठ, faange, a kind of Peacock in M. W. is the Houbara.
