ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, 



(CEYLON BRANCH.) 



SINHALESE BIRD-LORE. 



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By W. Knight James, F.R.G.S., F.R. Hist. S. 

 (Read 23rd October, 1883.J 



Amongst a simple rural population, such as the Sinhalese 

 villagers and cultivators are, one would naturally expect to 

 find that the wild animals with which they were familiar 

 should give rise to various superstitious stories and sayings. 

 More especially would this be the case with those which 

 they regarded particularly as either their friends or foes, or 

 whose peculiar habits and characteristics came most fre- 

 quently under their observation. This tendency amongst 

 the Sinhalese has been still further increased by their belief 

 in the doctrine of transmigration, and in devil-worship and 

 propitiation. The feathered-race has come in for at least its 

 fair share of legend and superstition. In this Paper it has 

 been my object to put together such jottings of Sinhalese 

 bird-lore as I believe have not for the most been previously 

 known. 



The Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis), Sin. (Low- 

 country) Pol-kichcha, " the cocoanut-bird ;" (Kandyan) 

 Pakan-kichch&y "the dawn-bird." Although the song of 

 this bird in early morning and the evening is clear and 

 sweet, it unfortunately has another less melodious one 

 during the day, which is thought to resemble the ominous 

 word (i miyachchi" "dead." This appears to have es- 

 tablished it as a bird of ill-omen, and by the country people 



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