26 WAGTAILS AND PIPITS A. WAGTAILS 1. Wagtails are small dainty birds with a compact plumage, walking, running or trotting about with great speed on the ground and constantly wagging their long tails up and down. "The gait is a brisk walk or run, with a back and forward motion of the head" (Smythies), reminding one strongly of the name a (a little pony) for a kind of sparrow. The common name for a Wagtail is खन्जन, and खजबेट (खजः विकलगतिक, खेट: घोटक: or खेट इन खञ्जति–'a dancing little pony'; see शब्दकल्पद्रुम for खेट) is one of its many synonyms. In Gujarat it is known as tarefter (winter-pony) as different varieties of it arrive in the country after the rains are over. This analogy with a pony occurred to Gilbert White also who remarks in his letter No. 60 to Thomas Pennant that "the tail of the Wagtail when in motion bobs up and down like that of a jaded horse." 2. Wagtails may be divided for the purpose of this article into three groups (i) White Wagtails; (ii) Yellow Wagtails and (iii) the Large Pied Wagtail. Birds of the first group are the proper of works on augury like the बृहत्संहिता and वसन्तराजशाकुन, as also of the poets who compare the dark, sparkling and longish eyes of beautiful young ladies with the shapely body of these smart and active birds. if, ch.44 refers to the White Wagtails as खञ्जन, or खञ्जनक but they are also named possibly as श्रीक in 47, 6 but certainly as in 85, 38, we regards these names as synonymous but does not equate them with बञ्जन श्रीकण्ठ in वसन्तराज 4.52, however, has been rendered as by the commentator which appears to be correct, for the black-throated god Siva also is ss. Like name as the also would appear to be a homonym, applicable, with different derivations, to two binds—–(i) श्रीरिव कायति शब्दं करोति श्रीक: the Himalayan Whistling Thrush (Art. 10), and (ii) शोभायुक्त भद्रो वा श्रीक: a beautiful bird' from the black patch on a white breast, or 'a lucky bird'the White Wagtail, in either case. Persian 'Sareecha" for a Wagtail is perhaps identical with Sanskrit : as is often changed to in Persian, e.g., अश्वक अस्पचा (aspacha), a small pony. If this is correct si: would be a very old name for a White Wagtail. Wagtails and Pipits 103 खज्जन, though often derived from बजि-गतिवैकल्ये, may well be a later name analogous to Prakrit meaning (i) mud, (ii) lamp-black, and (iii) black grease from the axle-hole or hub of a cart-wheel. The idea in each. case is that of a thing produced in or from void, sky, or hole (), and as applied to these birds the term should refer to their coming to the earth from the skies ( (खात् आकाशात् जननं उत्पत्तिरस्य-खज्जनः) at the end of the rains; cf. frate and fag, below, also for the bit of a bridle which rests in the hollow of the horse's mouth. Two other synonyms for a area and are both referring to its active movements like those of a dancer (). For nga see Art. 10, and for fre Art. 71. 3. The Yellow Wagtails also are variously known, e.g. as गोपीत, गोपुत्र, गोप or गोपापुल, गोपीतिलक (गोपीतलक ?), or गोपीतनक; and the Large Pied Wagtail, having black head, neck and upper breast like the Magpie Robin, is कालकण्ठ नीलकण्ठ, and काकच्छदि-खञ्जन (having black upper plunage like a Crow's; fe is incorrect). The Large Pied Wagtail being resident throughout the country is not a bird of augury. One variety of the White Wagtail and several Yellow Wagtails breed in the Himalayas. The re- maining species, listed in the Fauna of British India, breed outside India and are only winter-visitors to the plains. 4. All migratory Wagtails are birds of augury according to RE and afgar. The former divides the White Wagtails into five varieties and places all Yellow Wagtails into a single group called गोपुन or खज्जरीट. The latter distinguishes only three kinds of White Wagtails and calls the Yellow ones as गोपीत खञ्जन, The interesting explanation of वसन्तराज (10.1-9) for the mysterious disappearance of the birds and their sudden reappearance, and the names given by him to different varieties are as under:- "त्वं योगयुक्तो मुनिपुत्रकस्त्वं, प्रदृश्यतामेषि शिखोद्गमेन विलोक्यसे प्रावृषि निर्गतायां त्वं खञ्जनाचर्यमयो नमस्ते" (2) प्रभद्र, (3) अनुभद्र, (4) अम्बर भद्र, and (5) गोपुन (गोमूत्र is
- cf. below. The tiga or Yellow Wagtail
(1) समन्तभद्र, a misprint) or is defined as under:- "स्याद्यो हरिद्वारससंनिकाशो गोपुलनामा स तु खज्जरीट:" The classification in the far is as below:- "स्थूलोऽभ्युन्नतकण्ठः कृष्णगलो भद्रकारको भद्रः आंकण्ठमुखाकृष्णः सम्पूर्ण पूरयत्याशाम् कृष्णो गलेऽस्य बिन्दुः सितकरटान्तः स रिक्तकृद्रितः पीतो गोपीत इति क्लेशकरः खज्जनो दुष्टः" बृहत्संहिता, 44.2-3. "भेलसंहिता, 1.27 mentions गोपापुत्र as one of the edible birds,
