पृष्ठम्:Birds in Sanskrit literature.djvu/२५७

462 Birds in Sanskrit Literature 2. The Black-necked Grebe is a larger bird, about 12 inches long, found in India as a winter visitor. The place nearest to India where it breeds is Baluchistan. In the breeding plumage the birds have a line of long, silky, hair like feathers of a golden colour commencing behind the eye and running down the neck, and the synonyms "वज्जुलकः कर्णवालखगे" in शब्दार्थचिन्तामणि would seem belong to it. The name or epithet कर्णवाल is clearly indicative of the tufts of hair-like feathers growing from behind the eye which is the region of the ear in a bird. The Black-necked Grebe is also known as the Eared Grebe and is er in Sanskrit. Its call note is a soft 'pee-ep' and alarm note is a sharp 'whit, whit'. The largest bird of the group occurring in India is the Great Crested Grebe (18 to 22"). It is distinguished by a short bifid black crest and a ruff of long black feathers round the neck and falling over the breast. It breeds in the Himalayas, occasionally in Kashmir and locally in North India. It is the कण्ठपाल वञ्जुल of the equation in वैजयन्ती "कण्ठपालस्तु " the epithet are referring to the protective sort of ruff round the neck. The call note the softer notes of the of this Grebe is a harsh 'krek, krek' as against Little Grebe and it is more probably the of augury in बृहत्संहिता' and वसंतराज 2 It is defined in the former as बदिरचञ्चु (having a brown-bill) which agrees with the dark brown bill of this bird as againt the black bill of the other Grebes. It has been regarded as a bird of good omen under the name of बञ्चुलक (v.1. वज्जुलक) in the Rāmāyaṇa:3 एष बञ्चुलको नाम पक्षी परमदारुणः । आयोविजय युद्धे शंसन्निव विनर्दति ॥ The तिलक व्याख्या (NS. Press Edn.) renders बञ्चुलक as कण्ठवाल bird, clearly the same as as a possible name for the diver see the next. Article. . For The Great Crested Grebe "carries the long neck upright and from a distance looks somewhat like a cygnet" (Dewar). This fact coupled with its black crest is responsible for the name feage by which it is known in Assam, 1. 87.5. 2. 4.21. 3, 3.69.23. 86 DIVERS The Divers seem to stand midway between the Auks, Puffins, etc., on the one hand and the Grebes on the other. Like the Grebes their legs are placed far back on the body, and like them again they are unable to walk more than a few paces on the ground. They have great powers. of submergence and dive and swim under water in pursuit of their fish- food just as the Grebes do. They have been separated from the latter on certain anatomical grounds including their fully webbed feet like the ducks. The Black-throated Diver, the only one of the family, was once found in the Ambala district in the year 1922. It is much bigger than the largest Grebe and its call is a loud prolonged wail, audible at an immense distance. The Divers are essentially sea-birds but they resort to fresh water for breeding purposes. Even otherwise they are not unfrequently found far from the sea, being either driven inland by stress of weather, or exhausted. in their migrations." It is, therefore, quite likely that, though the bird is a very rare winter visitor to India at the present time, in the different. conditions obtaining in the country nearly two thousand years ago, the bird visited India with some regularity and in larger numbers. If so, it would certainly be regarded as a larger variety of the Grebe which it so closely resembles in habits, and the name as may well refer to it. The description of as with reference to its loud call, as e would seem to support this suggestion. The voice of the Great Crested Grebe, identified with ger in the preceding article (q.v.) is no doubt a harsh 'krek, krek' but it is doubtful how far the bird may be characterised as . Moreover, the different spelling also may imply a distinction between the Grebe (वज्जुलक) and Diver ( बञ्चुलक). 1. Ency. Brit., 11th edition.