562 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIII. 
No. XXIX.—FOLKLORE OF BIRDS AND BEASTS OF INDIA. 
I have been asked by Mr. Ellison to contribute to your Journal this article 
on folklore of birds and beasts of the country in different parts of India 
where I have been. I must preface my remarks by stating a well-known 
truth, to wit, the Indian is not an observant individual, andin my rambl- 
ings, except among aboriginals, I have found no help to my curiosity. As 
a case in point, I was informed, by one of these aboriginals, that the weaver 
bird (vernacular Baiva) is accustomed, in the rainy weather, to squeeze the 
mud out of the bodies of the ordinary earth worm (vernacular Kainchua), 
which is highly impregnated with phosphorus, and stick it on the side of his 
nest to light the inside. It is a disputed point whether the lumps of clay 
found in these nests are for the purpose of balance, or to go one step 
further, in folklore, to stick fire flies onto. In any case here is a simple 
problem for naturalists in India. 
THE SQUIRREL. 
A pretty little story, even though it carries creation to the time of Moses, 
is common in India. On one of his periodical visits to God, Moses desired to 
add to creation and God permitted him two efforts. The first clay image 
made by Moses was the Five-striped palm squirrel, called by many the “ tree- 
rat, ”—God admired it and saying ‘‘ What a pretty creature,” stroked it, as He 
gave it life, and left the imprint of His five fingers. 
The second effort was not so successful, he still kept the ground plan of the 
rat and now put wings on the beast thus making the bat. As the Almighty 
imbued it with life, Moses, in great excitement, called out ‘‘ My Lord and God, 
don’t let it fly yet for I have forgotten the anus.” <‘ Too late,’’ said God, and 
thus the bat flies without an anus. This legend but emphasizes the statement 
IT have already made of the want of observation in the Indian, who in the 
country still believes that the bat emits his excreta from his mouth. It is a 
common saying in India by a poorly circumstanced host to his guest: |“ This 
is a flying fox’s feast, I am hanging, you hang too.”” The expression is built on 
a story which is as follows. In the world after the creationso as the birds 
and beasts should recognize one the other, each tribe gave testivals in turn 
to the rest. All acquitted themselves well until it came to the turn of the 
flying foxes who, when their guests swarmed into the tope of banyan trees 
where they lived, said : “‘ Friends, I am hanging, you hang too.” 
THE PEACOCK. 
The Peacock, when first created, had the legs of the Myna, and asked fora 
change. He was granted his request and when dissatisfied with the result was not 
allowed to retake his own legs. The result is that to this day when dancing 
before his mate he sees his ugly feet and screams through agony. The Indian 
knows that the Peacock breeds during the rains when the tail of the Peacock is 
from five to six feet in length. This becomes a difficulty to his mind and not 
understanding how fertilization is accomplished he has evolved a theory of his 
own. It would appear according to this story that screaming with agony at his 
ugly legs the Peacock weeps and the lady bird catches his tear drops and 
generates eggs. Here again will be noticed want of observation, for an ordinary 
ramble will show the birds up a tree courting one another. These tales of the 
Peacock are common indistant Japan where a proverb runs: “When all men praise 
the Peacock’s tail, the other birds cry out: ‘ Look at his legs and what a voice!’ 
In Kangra (Dharamsala, Punjab) the Indian believes the Peacock and Peahen are 
birds of different species. The Peacock as anemblem of the Lord Krishna, is 
worshipped throughout India in most parts of which there are strict Govern- 
ment orders against shooting them. The Peahen in Kangra is called a “ Bodur ”’, 
and though she helps the Peacock in propogation by catching the tears of the 
