Birds in Sanskrit Literature the following example, placed with the vulture and jackal in a battle-field, presumably in the plains of North India, is the Indian Jungle crow :-- 8 शृगालगृध्रकाकोला: सदस्यास्तत्र पत्रिणः | -म० भा० 12, 98, 16. 13. The case for मौकुलि' (v. 1. मौकलि ?) is perhaps a little different. Hemacandra equates it with a which shows that it is a black Crow, and when we find that a flock of Crows (fr) has been placed in the forest near the Godavari in South-India by poet Bhavabhūti it is but reasonable to conclude that it is the southern variety of the Jungle Crow. This, according to Whistler, is a highly gregarious species and large. numbers collect to roost in special patches of forest, though never so many together as in the case of the House Crow. tyfer like is thus found to be specific for the Jungle Crow - 'गुञ्जत्कुञ्ज-कुटीर-कौशिक-घटा-घूत्कारवत्कीचक- • स्तम्बाडम्बरमूकमौकुलिकुलः क्रौञ्चावतोऽयं गिरिः । -Uttara Ramacarita, 2, 29 The 14. The brief description of the gre given by is fully borne out by what Whistler has to say about the Jackdaw. They are "as tame and impudent as the House Crow ..The call is more musical whole demeanour is pert and knowing... though the irresistible attraction which small bright articles have for the Jackdaw often makes it a nuisance about a house when tame enough to be allowed out of its cage" The last trait, described elsewhere as "a notoriety for thieving" helps us to appropriate the name fer to it :- लवणं चोरयित्वा तु चौरिकाकः प्रजायते । -महाभारत 12. 111, 123 (Cal. Ed.) The Bombay edition reads fafter which, however, is the Green Magpie, and in a way both are equally correct, for both the birds are champion thieves of glittering trinkets and other small objects lying about the house. The propriety of the punishment lies in the fact that a person who steals salt-a most precious thing in olden times-is condemned to be a thief for all his life in the next birth. 15. Albinism is not unknown in crows and a completely white bird of the House Crow variety is occasionally met with. The Museum at Nagpur has a specimen. It is known as T or and is always considered inauspicious वसन्तराज calls it धवल वायस at 12.127:- 1. This name may be from , a half open bud, after the bird's semi-erectile feathers of the head. Crows and their Allies The white Ibis also has been occasionally mentioned as a vas. i.e. the white water-crow (Art. 80). काको मैथुनसक्तश्च श्वं तस्तु यदि दृश्यते । राजा वा म्रियते तत्न स च देशो विनश्यति ॥ -मत्स्यपुराण, 237, 11 यद्वीक्ष्यते खलानां माहात्म्यं क्वापि दैवयोगेन । काकानामिव शौक्ल्यं तदपि हि न चिरादनर्थाय ॥
- आर्यासप्तशती, 465. 16. All Crows including the Raven were regarded as inauspicious and evil throughout the Vedic period and contamination of sacrificial or ceremonial objects, food, and the human body by one was a dreaded thing, but with the development of the science of augury (g) there came about a slight change their status for the better. Books on the subject contain chapters upon the interpretation their behaviour and voice for good or ill, and instances are not wanting even, in ancient literature where the sight or call of a Crow has been held to be auspicious¹ - यत आगच्छति काकः ततं भागच्छति वरः वायसः पादपगतः प्रहृष्टमपि जति पक्षी मां तु विशालाक्ष्याः समीपमुपनेष्यति अमेध्यपूर्णवदनः काकः सर्वार्थसाधकः Agni Purăņa, 223, 13. Finally, even the best of us has something to learn from the wily but sagacious bird for in the chapter on राजधर्म in अग्नि पुराण, 225, 30 a king is advised always to be on his guard, i.e. suspicious, like a Crow : -Kausika Sūtra, 34. 24 9 -Rāmāyaṇa, 4.55, 56 See M. Bh. 6.3.67 "काकशङ्की भवेन्नित्यम्" "Timid like a crow" for r in M. Williams is perhaps a little in- correct. See also verse 402 at page 162 offre where no fewer than five good points of the bird have been commended. B. CHOUGHS Choughs resemble the true Crows and are of a glossy black colour but differ from them all in having the bill and feet brilliantly coloured. The bill is fairly long, slender and pointed, with a gentle curve throughout. 1. The crow and particularly the Raven and their voice are regarded as unlucky- occasionally auspicious as well-in many parts of the world. See Ency. Religion and Ethics, Vol. 10, p. 367.
