360 दात्यूहकोयष्टिकाद्यः क्वचिच्चातिमनोहरैः । पुंस्कोकिलकलालापैः श्रुतिहारिभिरन्वितम् ।। हंसकारण्डवाकीर्ण चक्राह्वः सारसैरपि । जलकुक्कुटकोयष्टिदात्यूहकुलकूजितम् ॥ Birds in Sanskrit Literature मार्कण्डेय पुराण, 58.24. भागवत, 8.2.15. 8. The Red-wattled Lapwing being one of the commonest birds of India has earned for itself several other names and finds a place in literature under the name of feefew. It is a very demonstrative bird, is greatly agitated and becomes noisy whenever a human being appears anywhere near its nest. Its anxiety for its eggs or young accounts for names like अण्डीरक (अण्ड + ईर् कम्पने ? ) of the बृहत्संहिता and अण्डक (की शब्दे ?) of वैजयन्ती. The epithet उत्पादशयन indicates its habit of resting or sleeping while standing on one or both legs, but the story-teller forgetting the original sense of the expression has founded a wonderful conceit upon it. The bird is said to sleep on its back with legs stretched straight up with the deliberate idea of protecting itself should the heavens fall down upon it! उत्क्षिप्य टिट्टिभः पादावास्ते भङ्गभयाद्दिवः । * पञ्चतन्त्र, समुद्रटिट्टिभकथा A king is advised simply to ignore the unworthy pressing his request repeatedly like the Lapwing :- टिट्टिभं तमनुपेक्षेत वाशमानमिवातुरम् महाभारत, 12.114.4. Both this and the Yellow-wattled Lapwing, as also the Spur-winged Plover are from their harsh cries and the first two are far from their yellow legs and सदालूता (लूता चर्मवणे -- a scar- धन्वन्तरिनिघण्टु) from their permanent scar-like wattles: टिट्टिभी पीतपादश्च सदालूता नृजागर: राजनिघण्टु 9. The कटुक of मत्स्यपुराण, 'कटुकान्टिट्टिभान्भटान्' would also seem to refer to a particular Lapwing as the name is analogous to. The Sociable
- Similarly, the poets, commentators and lexicographers have misunderstood the
name a, a Giraffe, and interpreted it as a fabulous monster with eight legs, the normal four and a second set growing upwards from the back. See जैन आदिपुराण of जिनसेन 27,70 and 31, 25 where the per taking a somersault into the air is described as landing safely on his second set of legs. The body of the Giraffe is marked with a chequered pattern resem- bling a chess-board (arere), and hence the name. Lexical epithets like (standing high on legs), महास्कन्ध (high-shouldered), उष्ट्राकृति, and ऊर्ध्वनयन (looking high up) also belong to him. It is incorrect to describe as a fabulous animal though as described in the above work it is certainly unreal. 361 Plovers Lapwing has a mewing wail of a single loud and harsh note and occurs as a 'not uncommon' winter visitor in North India. The name , there- fore, most probably refers to it. 10. The war bird (?), has been dedicated to the sun in his friendly aspect along with two others, the Bee-eater and the Paradise Flycatcher (Arts. 40 & 11): शार्गः सृजयः शयाण्डकस्ते मंत्राः । वाज संहिता, 24.33 As the first two are insect-eating birds it is probable that was too has similar habits. The name perhaps bears some analogy to af and ang for the Red-Wattled Lapwing, and may possibly be derived, a++, i.e., a bird that lays its eggs on the ground and cries (w) anxiously for them when in danger. If so, it should be the same as feefew. All the three birds are beneficial to the crops in the field, orchard or grove. Moreover their striking colour-patterns are best set off during flight in the sun. The mild sun of the winter-months is indeed a friend to man as are these birds: विवस्वान् श्रावणे मासि प्रौष्ठपयां भगः स्मृतः । . मार्गशीर्षे भवेन्मितः पौषे विष्णुः सनातनः । कूर्मपुराण, 43.21-22. 11. The most prominent feature of the Avocet is its long, flexible and upcurved bill with which it probes into the mud for worms and insects. The upturned bill reminds one of a digging tool or a ploughshare. Its Hindi name f g (a Snipe with a bill like a ploughshare; कुशिक, 3 ploughshare) is the same as कशिकानी, a water-bird in चरक, and कशीका, काशीका, and कृषिका ("कपिका पक्षिजाति:"-टणादि 4.16; "खनित्रे कशी"-गणरत्नमहोदधि 51; कषीका कुद्दालः and a thong which is of course flexible). a, again, (from to draw out or extract) occurring in fer.efgar, 5. 5. 13 appears to be the same as कषिका Prakrit हलीमुख also is the Avocet. यष्टिक as a probable name for the Black-winged stilt has already been mentioned. Another vernacular name for it is eterit (red-legged) which helps to identify (red- legged), a water-bird in, as this bird.
- More probably, it is the same as
, the Spiny-tailed Lizard known. as it in Hindi. It is found in open sandy places. Like the garden lizard, afgi, it loves the sun. In fact, like other reptiles, the lizards dislike cold and are active in bright sunny weather.
