86 Birds in Sanskrit Literature ancestry can be traced to wg for 'a kind of bird' in Sanskrit :- "शङ्करा नाम परिव्राजिका शङ्करा नाम शकुनिका तच्छीला च तस्यां उभयं प्राप्नोति – "पतञ्जलि महाभाष्य परिवाजिका is पब्बाइया in Prakrit and hence पबइ, for this smallest of Mynas. When we recall its black head and crest and the fawn colour of its body-plumage we are reminded of the काषाय वस्त्र of a बालश्रमणा or कात्यायनी and cannot but admire the imagination of the first man who gave this excellent name to the bird. rg is thus a very old name for the Brahminy Myna which is a local migrant (farfar er). The name also indicates that unlike the common Myna it is an auspicious bird and the English name 'Brahminy Myna' for it is very expressive. It has a soft voice and pleasant song. 7. The Rosy Pastor is of a rose-pink colour with a black head orna- mented with a long bushy crest. The upper breast, wings and tail are also black. This Starling moves in flocks and the birds feed on insects and berries, and "are invariably present on silk cotton flowers ganging themselves on the sugary nectar they exude, and are truculent towards all other species visiting the tree on the same quest" (Salim Ali). It is, therefore, the मधुसालिया (Skt. मधुसारिका ) explained as सुवण्ण सालिक (Skt. सुवर्ण सारिका, the beautifully coloured myna) by the commentator in fefe , No. 511. The name gerfor refers to the birds' love of the nectar () of flowers. Again, if the name does not belong to the Brahminy Myna, the Rosy Pastor is the only other bird of the present group to claim it in its own right, or it may be a name common to both the birds possessing a long black crest. 8. जाण्ट (perhaps, connected with जटा or झुण्ट) is a kind of bird according to and in Prakrit means 'short and erect hairs' (लपूद्ध्वकेशाः – देशी नाममाला). The Jungle Myna is झोंटी मैना in Hindi and enfer, therefore, appears to be its Sanskrit name in reference to the tuft of short erect feathers on its forehead. #TZT Hindi means "dishevelled hair" so that all these words seem to be allied to ge or a bush. 9. The enfere is described as 'short-crested, dirty-feeder and fre- quenting damp reedy places':- "शरमल्लो क्षुद्रचूडो गूयलक्तच साल्विकः ।" - शब्दकल्प. It is known as गुये सालिक in Bengal, the name being derived from 'गूयलक्त साल्विक It is clearly the Pied Myna for which चित्राङ्गी (pied) in कल्पनु, कुणपी and 3. 3.2.14. 4. The name is in line with aferr (milk-maid) for the Magpie Robin, afa (washer-maid) for the White Wagtail, and af (oil-maid) for the black Red Starling-all in Hindi. The dress of a M.W.) is of a fawn or buff colour rit (affarer "बदन्ति कात्यायनिकां धूतकाषायवाससम्"-quoted in the commentary at p. 67 of हर्षचरित Starlings and Mynas •वि सारिका (compare बिटूचर for the tame Pig) in विकाण्डशेष are other names. The epithet कलहप्रिया is on a par with गोराटी and हहोलिका and all these are equally applicable to the Starling, the Common Myna, the Pied Myna and the Babblers. 87 10. A kind of Myna, named var f, is a victim for Goddess. •सरस्वती according to the तैत्ति संहिता: 5 "सरस्वत्यै शारि: श्येता पुरुषवाक्" means 'reddish white' and the only Myna that can be so described is the Grey-headed Myna. This is dark Grey above and rufous below, palest towards the throat and deepest towards the tail (Whistler). It could probably be trained to talk. The पुरुषवाक् शारि of the बाज. संहिता' is evidently the Grackle. 5. 5.5.12. 6. 24.33.
