Birds in Sanskrit Literature 8. The beautiful blue feathers of the Peacock, the Roller and the Kind-fishers () were often used for ornamenting royal flagstaffs:- 158 "केकी चासो मत्स्यरङ्कः विविधानां महीभुजाम् ध्वजाप्रेषु विधेयानि पक्षाणि श्रियमिच्छताम्" युक्तिकल्पतरु, p. 70. 42 HORNBILLS 1. "The Horbills are a well marked family of birds. They are especially. remarkable for their nidification......A hole in a tree is selected, and then the female, usually with the aid of the male, encloses herself and shuts up the orifice with the exception of a narrow vertical slit, by means of earth mixed with the bird's own droppings. She is thus enclosed before she begins to lay, and apparently remains in the hole till the young, which are naked when they leave the egg, are fledged, being fed all the time by the male through the slit....which just allows room for the bird's bill to be pushed through", Four species of the Hornbill occur in the sub-Himalayan areas west of Assam including the Common Grey Hornbill which is found almost all over India. 2. Common names for all Hornbills are मातृनिन्दक (सुश्रुतसंहिता) from the more than maternal care taken by the male bird not only of the young but of the mother also; for the father puts the mother to shame, as it were, in the matter of parental care; प्रिपात्मज (चरक सं., v.I. प्रात्मक, per डल्तृणाचार्य in his gloss on सुश्रुव ); and वापिस (नासिका यस्य or बुद्धि गता नासाऽस्य ) from the casque upon the base of the bill regarded as an overgrowth of the nose. The Rufous-necked Horbill of Nepal has, however, no casque but the basal portion of the upper mandible is thickened, and from the similarity of habits with others of the group it has been included within the general name of art. In fact this bird and perhaps also the Great Horn- bill are a par excellence, and dear to God firm as his favourite food, and they are also offered to the manes of the ancestors. "कृष्णग्रीवो रक्तशिराः वतपक्षो विहङ्गमः सर्व वाणसः प्रोक्तः पितॄणां पुष्टिवर्धन:"* forer is also the rhinoceros. The corresponding name in Hindi is (fr) व्याधीनस as a bird in बेस्संतर जातक is corrupt Pali for it. 1. Blanford and Oates. 2. It is एकवरक in मानसोल्लास 2.276 from एकाङ्क्ष-head and वरक-covering, i.n. a bird having a sort of covering on the head. 3. Quoted by उज्ज्वलदत्त at 2. 27 of उणादिनुववृत्ति.
