31 FLOWER-PECKERS The Flower-peckers are tiny Himalayan birds (3.2 to 4.5") resemb ling the Sun-birds in habits, but beyond a twitter they have nothing in the way of a song. Brightly coloured species like the Indian Scarlet-backed and the Fire-breasted Flower-peckers would ordinarily pass for a variety of सुवर्णपुष्प considered in the preceding article but not as a शीजिरिका, for they have no song. Others like the Plain-coloured and Tickell's Flower- peckers would, from their small size, simply go by the common name of fer for any small bird. 32 PITTAS Three varieties of Pitta are found in India. The Indian Pitta is found all over the country, the Blue-naped Pitta occurs in the outer Himalayas from Nepal eastwards, while the Blue Pitta of Bhutan is found in Assam and further cast. They are coarsely built birds (7"-9") with a short tail. and long and powerful legs. Terrestrial by habit they feed chiefly on insects, lizards and occasionally mice. Their stumpy shape and upright carriage are distinctive. The male has a "magnificent double whistle" as well as song. The Indian Pitta has a plumage variegated with blue, green, black, white, fulvous and crimson, and is very aptly known as at (bird of nine colours) in Hindi. The Blue-naped Pitta is tawny rufous, washed with grass-green on the back, rump and tail, and bright blue on the nape and hind neck. The Blue variety is blue above and has a blue wash on different parts of the body, some red on the head and nape and yellow on the breast. The name ¶ (shaped like a lotus flower prior to opening out), if correctly equated with frer (fre Cuckoo and ag a bird, i.e., a bird with a double call-note like the Cuckoo) in riff and g should properly belong to the Pitta. If fry is rendered as 'having a body like the Cuckoo's' it would refer to a bird like the Large Cuckoo-Shrike which is a dark grey bird and can by no means be described as पद्मपुष्प Another probable name for the beautiful Indian Pitta is चित्रक (चित्रम् - painted bird), corresponding to Hindi ater, mentioned with other song birds of the Himalayas.: "शुकैच भृद्धगराजैव चित्रकैश्च समन्ततः । सुग्रीवकाञ्चनरवैः कलविङकरुतैस्तथा । कृजितान्तरशब्दैश्च सुरम्याणि च सर्वशः । वायुपुराण, 36, 2-4. gfra (beautifully painted) is the Common Kingfisher, a little jewel of a bird in its own class (Art. 41). It is, however, quite possible that far and fre are synonymous with each other and refer to the common Kingfisher alone.
