Another animal is the wild buffalo. It is much larger than the common buffalo. Its horns go back* like those of the common buffalo, but not so as to grow into the flesh.* It is a very destructive and ferocious animal.*

Nīlgau.

Another is the nīlgau.* Its height is about equal to that of a horse. It is somewhat slenderer. The male is bluish, whence it is called the nīlgau.* It has two small horns, and on its neck has some hair,* more than a span in length,* which bears much resemblance to the mountain-cow tassels.* Its tail is like the bull’s.* The colour of the female is like that of the gawazen deer*; she has no horns, nor any hair on the under part of her neck; and is plumper than the male.

Kotah-
paicheh.

Another is the kotah-paicheh.* Its size may be equal to that of the white deer. Its two forelegs as well as its thighs are short, whence its name (short-legged). Its horns are branching like those of the gawazen, but less. Every year, too, it casts its horns like the stag. It is a bad runner, and therefore never leaves the jungle.

Antelope.

There is another species of deer that resembles the male huneh or jīrān.* Its back is black, its belly white, its horns longer than those of the huneh, and more crooked. The Hindustānis call it kalhareh. This word was probably originally kālahirn, that is black deer, which they have corrupted into kalhareh.* The female is white. They take deer by means of this kalhareh. They make fast a running* net to its horns, and tie a stone larger than a football* to its leg,* that, after it is separated from the deer,* it may be hindered from running far. When the deer sees the wild kalhareh it advances up to it, presenting its head.* This species of deer is very fond of fighting, and comes on to butt with its horns. When they have engaged and pushed at each other with their horns, in the course of their moving backwards and forwards, the net which has been fastened on the tame one’s horns, gets entangled in those of the wild deer, and prevents its escape. Though the wild deer uses every effort to flee, the tame one does not run off, and is greatly impeded by the stone tied to its leg, which keeps back the other also.* In this way they take a number of deer,* which they afterwards tame.* They likewise take deer by setting nets.* They breed this tame deer to fight in their houses; it makes an excellent battle.*

Deer.

There is on the skirts of the mountains of Hindustān another deer which is smaller. It may be equal in size to a sheep* of a year old.*

Gau-gīnī.

Another is the gau-gīnī*; it is a small species of cow, like the larger kūchkār* (or ram) of our country. Its flesh is very tender and savoury.

Monkey.

The monkey is another of the animals of the country. The Hindustānis call it bander. There are many species of them. One species is the same that is brought to our countries. The jugglers teach them tricks. It is met with in the hill-country of the Dareh (or valley of) Nūr, on the Koh-e-sefīd, in the skirts of the hills* in the neighbourhood of Kheiber, and from thence downward throughout all Hindustān. It is not found any higher up than the places I have mentioned. Its hair is yellow, its face white, its tail is not very long.* There is another species of monkey, which is not found in Bajour, Sawād, and these districts, and is much larger than the kinds that are brought into our country. Its tail is very long, its hair whitish, its face entirely black. They call this species of monkey langūr,* * and it is met with in the hills and woods of Hindustān. There is still another species of monkey, whose hair, face, and all its limbs are quite black; they bring it from several islands of the sea. There is yet another species of monkey brought from some islands. Its colour approaches to a yellowish blue, somewhat like the skin of the fig. Its head is broadish, and it is of a much larger size than other monkeys. It is very fierce and destructive.* *

Mungoose.

Another is the nol* (or mungoose). It is a little smaller than the kīsh. It mounts on trees; many also call it the mūsh-khūrma. They reckon it lucky. There is another Squirrel. of the mouse species, which they call galahrī (the squirrel)*; it always lives in trees, and runs up and down them with surprising nimbleness.

Its birds.
Peacock.

Of the birds, one is the peacock.* It is a beautifully coloured and splendid animal. It is less remarkable for its bulk than for its colour and beauty. Its size may be about that of a crane, but it is not so tall. On the head of the peacock, and of the peahen, there may be about twenty or thirty feathers, rising two or three fingers’ breadth in height. The peahen is neither richly coloured nor beautiful. The head of the male has a lustrous and undulating* colour. Its neck is of a fine azure. Lower down than the neck, its back is painted with the richest yellow, green, azure, and violet; the flowers or stars on its back are but small; below, they increase in size, still preserving the same colour and splendour, down to the very extremity of the tail. The tail of some peacocks is as high as a man.* Below these richly-painted feathers of its tail it has another smaller tail like that of other birds, and this ordinary tail, and the feathers of its sides, are red. It is found in Bajour and Sawād, and in the countries below, but not in Kuner or Lamghānāt, or in any place higher up. It flies even worse than the kar­kāwel (or pheasant), and cannot take more than one or two flights at a time.* On account of its flying so ill, it always frequents either a hilly country or a jungle. It is remark­able, that whenever there are many peacocks in a wood there are also a number of jackals in it; and as they have to drag after them a tail the size of a man,* it may easily be supposed how much they are molested by the jackals, in their passage from one thicket to another. The Hindustānis call them mor. According to the doctrines of Imām Abu Hanīfeh, this bird is lawful food. Its flesh is not unpleasant. It resembles that of the quail,* but it is eaten with some degree of loathing, like that of the camel.

Parrot.

Another is the parrot, which also is found in Bajour and the countries below it. In the spring,* when the mulberry ripens, it comes up into Nangenhār and Lamghānāt, but is found there at no other season. There are many species of parrot. One is that which they carry into our countries, and teach to talk.* There is another species, of smaller size, which is also taught to speak. They call it the wood-parrot. Great numbers of this species are found in Bajour, Sawād, and the neighbouring districts, insomuch, that they go in flights of five and six thousand. These two species differ only in bulk; both have the same colours. There is another species of parrot, which is still smaller than the wood-parrot. Its head is red, as well as its upper feathers. From the tip of its tail to within two fingers’ breadth of its feet, it is white.* The head of many of this species is lustrous, and they do not speak. They call it the Kashmīr parrot.* There is another species of parrot like the wood-parrot, but a little less. Its beak is red*; round its neck is a broad black circle like a collar. Its upper feathers are crimson; it learns to speak well. I had imagined that a parrot, or shārak, only repeated what it had been taught, and that it could reduce nothing into words from its own reflections. Abul Kāsim Jelair, who is one of my most familiar servants, lately told me a remarkable incident. The cage of a parrot of this last-mentioned species having been covered up, the parrot called out, ‘Uncover my face; I cannot breathe.’ On another occasion, when the bearers who were employed to carry it had set it down to rest themselves, and a number of people passed by, the parrot called out, ‘Everybody is going by, why don’t you go on?’ Let the credit rest with the relater! Yet till one hears such things with his own ears, he never can believe them. There is another kind of parrot, of a beautiful red colour; it has also other colours. As I do not precisely recollect its appearance, I therefore do not describe it particularly. It is a very elegant bird,* and learns to talk. It has one great defect, that its voice is particularly disagreeable, having a sharp and grating sound,* as if you rubbed a piece of broken china on a copper plate.

Shārak.