Birds in Sanskrit Literature 4. It is clear from the first two synonymies given in para. I that (v. 1. फेन्च ?) and गोवत्सा (M.W. and वसन्तराज have perhaps the more correct form, गोवत्सक) refer to Bulbuls with red under-tail coverts, and लद्वा (लट्व- a curl on the forehead) is the White-cheeked Bulbul which alone has a long and pointed crest curling forward and yellow under-tail coverts (पुच्छाघ: पीतवर्णा). It will thus seen that चक्रदत on चरक and डल्हणाचार्य on सुश्रुत have erred in rendering लट्वा as the फेञ्चाक or फेजातक described by them as having a red patch under the tail (rym:). On the other hand, कल्पको rightly differentiates गोवत्सा (v.]. गोवत्सक), the Red vented, from, the yellow-vented White-checked Bulbul, and by extension the latter term would include the crestless but yellow-vented White-eared Bulbul as well. The terms, , (in M.W. and in the foot-note in, should be a w.r. of this), to be allied forms which according to by , and a seem and , supported aft, denote the Red-vented Bulbuls. Now and are two different birds according to , and they should therefore bei two different species of Bulbul with red under the tail, and these are (i) the familiar sub-crested forms, the 'Central Indian' and 'Bengal' Red- vented Bulbuls, and (ii) the much smarter looking and fully crested 'Bengal' and Southern' Whiskered Bulbuls. With these preliminary observations I proceed to allocate the above names, together with the pretty name gods of the Ramayana amongst the commoner Bulbuls of North India, the name are being of course a common name for all of them. in M.W. is a graphical error. 36 5. (1) The Bengal and Central Indian Red-vented Bulbuls are the पेच and फेन्च of the lexicons and फेञ्चाक and फेब्जातक of the com- mentaries on चरक and सुश्रुत (2) The White-checked, the White-eared, and the Red-whi- skered Bulbuls should share the name as they all have beautiful ears, as it were ("श्री: शोभा कर्णे यस्य श्वेतस्य कृष्णसन्निकर्षे शोभाधिक्यात्तथात्वम्" शब्दस्तोममहानिधि ). This name may also refer to the white-cheeked Grey Tit which looks like a miniature Bulbul-Art. 2. The Red-whiskered Bulbul would seem to claim the name gerade for itself in a special sense: "विनिष्पतद्भिः शतशश्चितैः पुष्पावतंसकैः", रामायण 5.15.7. 1. These appear to be Sansk. adaptations from names like 'Phaki-pho', 'Chinchiok- pho' or 'Chichiam' used by the Hill-tribes of outer Himalayas, e.g. for Bulbuls Nos. 386. 394 and 397 in F.B.I. The forms पेवक (पेच with स्वार्थक) and पेञ्चक (the same as E) have occurred in literature also; see the last paragraph of this article. 2. This Bulbul has the "hinder parts of cheeks and ear-coverts white surrounded with black; a tuft of crimson-scarlet feathers under the eye and extending over the lower car- coverts" (F.B. I. 2nd Edn.). It is therefore a Red and white -cared Bulbul rather than a Red-whiskered one. Bulbuls The name refers to a beautiful (fra) bird which is wearing as it were pair of floral ear-tops, and this Bulbul with what looks like a spray of red and white petals of Nerium odorum, the furre (Hindi), stuck in front of the ear answers. best to this pretty name which also agrees very well with Hindi for it. The following parallels for genadas (wearing a floral ornament in the ear) should prove interesting: "श्रमी शिरीषप्ररावावतंसाः"रघुवंश, 16.61 “कर्णावसक्तकुसुममञ्जरी" - कादम्बरी, P. 230 “रामदामोदरी... वन्यपुष्पावतंसकौ"ब्रह्मवं. पुराण, 184.53. 37 The Red-whiskered Bulbul, as already stated, is a much smarter looking bird than the common Red-vented variety and this is not merely because it wears a beautiful floral orna- ment in its cars but chiefly because it has a stylish, upright and pointed crest and a broad, dark band across the almost white breast more or less broken in the centre. It is this sprightly and trim appearance of the bird that has won for it the addi- tional Hindi name of far (the Soldier-Bulbul). Besides it shares the crimson patch under the tail with its cou- sins. The गोवत्सक of बसन्तराज, defined under the name of गोवत्सा in कल्पद्रु is this bird. The etymology and the propriety of the name is not at all apparent though a suggestion or two may be risked with, however, hardly any chance of probability: गवि भूमो वत्स इव - (a) like a toddler on the ground', in reference to the weak legs of the bird; (i) (ii)'hair', 'chest'-after the divided dark-brown band appearing to descend from the neck like pendent locks of hair falling on the breast¹; (iii) गवि पृथिव्यां वत्स इब-after the Vedic singer वत्स who success- fully passed through a fire-ordeal to establish his honourable Brahmanic parentage. This vain and confi- dent looking Bulbul also with its sweet and cheerful notes remains unscathed despite fire (the red patch) under its tail. Te the sage is now in heaven but. the bird acting his part on earth is still with us. See Manusmrti, 8.166 and पञ्चविशब्राह्मण, 14.6.6. (3) लट्या from लट्ब a curl on the forehead' is specific firstly for the White-cheeked Bulbul with a yellow vent as defined in and secondly, by extension for the White-eared Bul- bul, also with a yellow seat. The Black-crested Yellow Bulbul 1. Cr. श्रीवत्स, the tuft of lair on the chest of विष्णु,
