16 WARBLERS 1. A great majority of the birds of this family are very small and plain coloured. "In fact most of them fall in the category of 'small brown birds without distinguishing features'.... It is impossible to identify many of these birds even with a plate and a good field description" (Smythies). They are all covered by the Hindi common name of gest or gr¹ which. may well be from Sanskrit g², gear, or rê (M. W.) all of which, at least the last two, seem to be after the little birds' single or double call notes (फुट्, फत् इति शब्दं करोति; cf. 'फो' for a bird' in some Himalayan dialects). and also perhaps therefore seem to be common Sanskrit names for all non-descript Warblers. In addition diminutives in the feminine genders like चटिका, चटकिका, पतङ्गिका, पुत्तिका (पुत्रिका, e.g. पुत्रिका afer) etc. formed from common names like, for a Sparrow, generally signify all insignificant small birds (Cf. "चटिका-क्षुद्रपक्षिका"-- हलायुध ). 2. Flycatcher Warblers like the Eastern Red-breasted and the Blue- throated Flycatchers are known as te in Bengal corresponding probably to Sanskrit fe which, besides being a term for any small bird, would also seem to be specific for the small-sized Warblers as a group according to the rule, “सामान्योऽपि विशेषे वर्तते" ---अभि० चिन्तामणि, and the name perhaps refers to the sound produced by the bird's bill whenever it snaps up an insect in the air. 3. The noisy and clever little Tailor-bird is probably from its 'towit, towit' or 'tuk-tuk' voice, and gfet or fears from its habit of placing its nest in a leaf-packet made by stiching up one or more leaves of low bushy plants. The names are from gz, gfer, 'a leaf packet' (cf. leaf and पत्रपुट and Hindi पुड़िया). Its Hindi name पतिया is from पa, a 1. The fi-- explains get as an onomatopoetic name and derives the verb gr from the hopping habit of these little birds. But it is most probably from Sansk. g, onomatopoetic for a weak sound or call, e.g. of a small bird. 2. फुनाझपष्टवाक्येन फायति शब्दायते इति --शब्दकल्पद्रुम फुः तुच्छवास्यम्-ibid. 3. Diminutives in the feminine gender are formed in certain cases according to the "स्त्री स्यात्काचिन्मणाल्यादिविवक्षाऽपचये यदि अमर, 3.5.7, 4. टुण्टु इति अव्यक्तेन शब्देन कायति शब्दायते- शब्दकल्प. The streaked Fantail Warbler frequenting grass-fields goes by the name of ggfrur in Hindi. It is thus probable that 69 Warblers aft (onomatapoetic) in Bengali. Compared to its size it has a very loud note and its occurrence in the wayside bushes and hedges has secured recognition for it as a bird of augury. T mentions the bird. as gfefe at 4.21 and as fere at 8.2.46. 4. The pretty little Ashy Wren-Warbler of our gardens, in towns and villages, dark ashy above and a beautiful shade of buff below, with a long graduated tail and a voice similar to that of the Tailor-bird, would also be टण्टुक. The पुरल्लिका of वसन्तराज 4.56, rendered as पिदिडी in the commentary, should be the Ashy Wren-Warbler if the etymology of the name from Prakrit पुरिल्ल (पौर) पुरभव (पा.स.म) whence 'पुरेभवा-पुरल्लिका' is correct. Sansk. is a garden in a town to which the term gfe should correspond. If so, gerer should be a little bird of a garden in a town. Pali afers for a kind of bird would aiso be the same. In a general way, however, it would certainly be looked upon as a tiny bird or fufeet as noted in the commentary on . Strictly speaking, however, fafest is a particular Munia (Art. 22). as 5. Among the Reed-Warblers Blyth's Reed-Warbler is known. fefe after its call note (F.B.I.) and as it is less aquatic than others of its class and is found in the long grass of the plains during the winter it has another Hindi name, gem (probably from gar a kind of कुश grass which it frequents). The Black-throated Weaver bird of reed beds is or 'Reed Weaver-bird' in Bengal so that if back-formations from vernacular names of some of the Warblers are permissible, the Reed-Warb- lers must have been known as rez. Indeed, the Indian Great Reed- Warbler goes by the name of 'Boora Jitti' (Boora-reeds, and Jitti or Jitta- the same as ) in Telugu. Similarly Warblers that frequent grass are known as 'Grass Sparrows' in different parts of the country. The Streaked Fantail-Warbler is known. as घासकी फुदकी in Hindi and the Rufous-fronted Wren-Warbler is - (fr. , a kind of grass- देशीनाममाला) in Sind. All such birds must therefore have been तूणचटिका or तृणफुटकारी in the past just as we have तुणमयूर and शावलि for the Floricans (Art. 57), and are and à (kinds of grass) for the Red Munia (Art. 22). cf. names like 'Grass-finch' and 'Grass-quit' for certain American birds. these and others like them went by the name of टुण्टुक and तिन्तिडीक or] तिन्तिडी given as a bird name in दशापाद्यणादिवृत्तिः 3.39. The old scientific name for the Tailor-bird was Sylvia sutoria. It has a dark homy bill and has been incorrectly entered by M. Williams under tugg (yellow-billed).. This last is an adnoun for the Mallard Duck See Art. 84. Section C.
