8 



JOURNAL, R. A. S. (CEYLON.) [Vol. VIII. 



when its cry is heard as it flies over a house is said to 

 announce death to one of the inmates. 

 There is a Sinhalese saying — 



255 3D<9 25302533(9(35 <50<52£)&1@2tf §c9(^ (3^(3233 3 08. 



Kanakokdge suda penenne igillenakotayi. 



" You only see the white (beauty) of the kanakokd 

 when it is on the wing," (i.e., for a person to be seen 

 to advantage he must put forth his powers.) 



©233025330 62B©a^G0SS5 ©253^0 GO-^Cb^COSsJ 6*8. 



Kokdta ekawdrayah nam keUta hatwdrayak eti. 

 "For every one chance that the male heron has, the 

 female has seven." (Alluding to the supposed 

 cunning of women.) 



©2533^33003^03555 SDlD ^3533003035 ©3^C0^3 6*9. 



Kokdtawdrayak nam tittaydtat wdrayak eti. 



" If the heron has a chance, so has the fish." This 

 probably has reference to the crab story in the 

 Hitopadesa. 



The Brown Fish Owl (Ketupa Ceylonensis), Sin. 

 Bakamund. — This bird is, if discovered in the day time, 

 frequently subject to the attacks of mobs of crows. The 

 story is told that once the Bakamund was proposed as the 

 king of birds, but the crow addressed his assembled 

 brethren and said, " Our other kings have punished only 

 those who were guilty of some offence, but if you accept the 

 Bakamund as our king the continual sight of his ugly face 

 will be a terrible punishment which will affect equally the 

 innocent and the guilty." 



The ashes of the feathers of the Bakamund mixed with the 

 ashes of a human skull and beeswax is formed into an oint- 

 ment which is used by Vedardlas for the cure of sores. 



Owls.— The screeching of an owl near a house is looked 

 upon as an ill-omen. If the villager possesses a door key 

 he places it beneath the ashes of the fire, hoping that he will 

 by that means counteract its ill-effects. The bark of the 

 tree taken off whilst the owl is on the tree, but before it 

 has screamed thrice, is considered a valuable charm. Its 

 value arises most probably from the fact that it is next to 

 impossible to cut the bark from the tree without frightening 

 the bird away. 



