TURKI, MANCHU AND CHINESE. 267 



The "Mirror" says : It is a large bird, like the humudu in form; it has no spurs; below the 

 chin it has long hanging feathers like a goat's beard. 



"Below the chin" is hardly an accurate description of the position of these 

 feathers. 



With regard to the name (t sheep bustard," my friend, Col. D. C. Phillott, informs 

 me that in Persia the large bustard is called mis murgh, or " sheep bird." 



42. Su-Buqa. (& y* 



? Bittern. 



Botaurus stellaris. 



Manchu : H 6 n k s i (pronounced Hunsi ) . 



Chinese : Wei niao, lit. the reed-bird. 



The "Mirror" says: It is smaller than the large stork, and larger than the small stork. 

 When it puts its beak in the water it makes a very loud noise like the soughing of the wind (hong 

 seme). 



Dr. Scully has the following note quoted in Bowdler Sharpe's I^ist, No. 287, on the 

 Bittern, Botaarus stellaris. 



" The Yarkandis call this species Kul Bughasi, ' the Stag of the Lake,' and say that it is a 

 permanent resident in the country, breeds in long grass jungle, and makes a very loud booming 

 noise by sticking its bill into a reed / " 



Now the Turki name sic buqa means literally ' the water-ox.' Taking together 

 this name, the Chinese name, and the description in the c< Mirror," I imagine that 

 this number is identical with Scully's Botaurus stellaris. 



Colonel Phillott informs me that in Mesopotamia the Arabs call both the pelican 

 and the white heron f water-sheep ' — an appellation given also to gulls by the boatmen 

 in the Persian Gulf. 



The popular etymology (Volksetymologie) of Botaurus from bos-\-taurus forms an 

 interesting pendant to the peculiar Eastern names for the Bittern. 



43. Kesma Tumsuq. <j>yS**j l+S 



? Spoon-bill. 

 Platalea leucorodia. 



Manchu : Saibihan [Z. Russian , Kolpitsa] . 

 Chinese : Teng ko tzu tsui. 

 The " Mirror " says : It somewhat resembles the Gowasihiya (No. 19). The end of the beak 

 is broad (onco). 



44. Yesi Tumsuq. jyuy ^*j 



? Spoon-bill. 



Platalea leucorodia. 



Manchu : H alb ah an [Z. Russian, Kolpitsa']. 



Chinese: Same as No. 43. 



Here we apparently have two words in Manchu and in Turki to express one and 

 the same bird. The Mirror simply says " this is also the Saibihan," 



