30 Birds in Sanskrit Literature Grey Babbler, "as a bird of the Myna tribe, commonly known as the Seven Brothers" (cf. the popular name 'Seven Sisters' for them). The Large Grey Babbler is also in Hindi and the Jungle Babbler is in Marathi, both these names going back to भूसारिका of राजनिघंटु :- भूसारिका - भूमदना – भुई मैना – मैना ( H. मदना - मयना मैना ) fr 4. Names like गोराटी, गोकिराटी or गोकिराटिका have again been regarded as synonymous with सारिका by हेमचन्द्र and others, but they are perhaps easy to distinguish and allocate between their respective owners. The Common Myna is noisy in day-time only when excited or quarrelling with others of its kind, but when roosting in the evening on trees in large numbers as usual they are very noisy and "the fuss and com- motion accompanied by endless harsh chattering must be seen and heard to be appreciated" (F.B.I.). The name ret (tarfa) is, therefore, perfectly true of it and equally so of the Babblers. The names for and गोकिराटिका, however, seem to have a different derivation, गवि भूमौ किर इव refer a bird that moves (and works) on the ground like a pig, and this admirably describes the habit of the Babblers which turn up dead leaves and refuse for insects, berries, etc. Wilson gives this derivation, and perhaps correctly. Curiously enough the Tamil name for some Babblers like the Large Grey Babbler is fefe 'the Pig-bird", which is an exact equivalent of inforget. In the alternative, the name may be derived from गो+किराती, गवि भूमौ वाचि वा किराती इव i.e. working on the ground or talking like women of the fr tribe living in the forests. The occupation of digging out medicinal roots has also been attributed to fr girls: "कैरातिका कुमारिका सका खनति भेषजम्" अथर्ववेद, 10.4.14. The language of the Kiratas was nothing better than the chatter of these birds to the Indo-Aryans and this may well have been an additional reason for the name गोकिराती as suggested above. It was perhaps subsequently changed, under the influence of Prakrit, to ft. The epithets कुत्सिताङ्गी and कश्मलाङ्गी (for सारिका) in राजनिषण्टु refers to the dirty- grey, and untidy plumage of these Babblers. (hysterically noisy; cf. 5. Lastly, gifer ) is one of the names in the g synonym for the Myna-group and corresponds Hindi गँगइ (गुरु अव्यक्ते शब्दे to shout) and पंगा (पिञ्ज् अव्यक्ते शब्दे), and Gujarati [भड़भड़ियां (भण to call) for the Common and Jungle Babblers. gifs must therefore refer to these birds who start shouting hysterically at the slightest provo- cation. S. Baker³ devotes a whole paragraph to a description of the noisy 1. Per Jerdon in "The Birds of India". 2. Cf., Prakrit 3. F.B.I. 2nd Edition Vol. I. 192. , for the Malkohas, Art. 37-B. Laughing Thrushes and Babblers 31 habits of the Seven Sisters. For a remotely possible reference to these birds. as in the Rg Veda see Art. 13. 6. मणितुण्ड (red-billed; cf. मणितारक, the Sarus, whose eyes are red, Art.62) is a familiar bird in the garden of Indra in the Himalayas: "नानावर्णैश्च शकुन: नानारत्नतनूरुहै. सुवर्णपुष्पैश्चानेकैः मणितुण्डैद्विजातिभिः” वायुपुराण, 39, 18. It probably refers to the beautiful and sweet-voiced Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler which does not shun observation, unless the Grey-winged Black- bird with a red bill is intended. The red-billed Black Bulbul cannot be meant as it has very harsh notes and does not deserve a place with the beautiful and multicoloured (ar) little gems of the bird-world- the Sun-birds, Art. 30. It is however possible that the name forve as a homonym in the plural refers to both the above Babbler and the Black-bird. B. BIRDS OF THE SIZE OF A SPARROW 1. Coming to the smaller members of the family there is, first, the widely distributed Iora¹ of the road-side trees, groves and gardens of the plains and lower hills, wandering up to the outer Himalayas. It is black and greenish-yellow above and deep yellow beneath, duller and greenish below the breast. The wings have two white bars. The male has a variety of pleasant and powerful whistling notes some of which resemble the (soo) and others the ft (see)call, uttered as a single or multiple whistle, up to eight notes in succession. It has besides a long drawn wee-e-e-e-tu or see-e-e-e-u- whistle. It is mentioned as a bird of augury under the name or सूकरिका (सू इति शब्दं करोति) in बृहत्संहिता, 85.37; 87.9 where it is described as a small Sparrow-like bird ("जात्या चटिका च सूकरिका"). वसन्तराज also mentions it at 4.51. Hindi alfam for the bird is from Prakrit gfam for Sans. , incorrectly rendered as the मैना ( starling ) in पा० स०, महण्णवो. शुकिका is thus another name for the Iora. But the most beautiful and fully appropriate names for it are and aft, descriptive of its sweet whistling notes, given in देशी नाममाला where महओ (मधुक: मधुना मधुरं वा कायति ) is defined as "श्रीबदाख्यः पक्षी, थीः इति वदति वाश्यते". 2. The Black-headed Sibia of Nepal has a "Loud" ringing call Tit- teree, titteree, tuceyo" and its local name for (fara?) is clearly reminiscent of stre, the titteree note being the st call. If so it would be simply श्रीवद and the far swecter Tora, मधुक श्रीवद. 2 1. Probably from Latin Io-a cry of joy. 2. For other birds bearing the name si sec Art. 10, 13.
