Another is the minkisā,* which is nearly of the height of the sāras, but its size is less. It resembles the stork,* but is much larger. Its bill is longer than the stork’s, and is black. Its head is polished and shining, its neck white, its wings parti-coloured. The edges and roots of the feathers of its wings are white, and the middle black.

Yak dīng.

There is another sort of stork, which has a white neck, while its head and all the rest of its body are black. It migrates to our countries. It is rather less than the common stork. This stork the Hindustānis call yak dīng.* There is another stork, which resembles in colour and shape the stork that visits our countries. Its beak is generally black and white,* and is much smaller than the other. There is yet another fowl which resembles the stork and heron.* The bill of this bird is longer than the heron’s and larger. In size it is less than the stork.

Būzek (or
curlew).

Another is the large būzek* (or curlew). Its bulk may be about that of the starling. Its head and two wings* are white. It has a loud cry. Another is the white būzek.* Its head and bill and black. It is considerably larger than the būzek of our countries, but less than the būzek of Hindustān.*

Gheret-pāi.

There is another water-fowl, which they call gheret-pāi.* It is larger than the sona burchīn. The male and female are of the same colour. It is always found in Hashnaghar, and sometimes visits the Lamghānāt. Its flesh is very delicate.

Shāh-
murgh.

There is another waterfowl which they call shāhmurgh.* It may be rather less than the goose. It has a swelling above its nose. Its breast is white, its back black, and its flesh is excellent.

Zumej.

Another is the zumej,* which is about the size of a būrkūt (or falcon). It is of a black colour.

Starling.

Another is the starling.* Its tail and back are red.

Ala-kūr-
gheh (or
magpie).

Another is the ala-kūrgheh* (or magpie) of Hindustān. It is slender and smaller than the ala-kūrgheh (or magpie) of my native country. It has some white on its neck.

Crow-
pheasant.

There is another bird, which bears some resemblance to the carrion crow.* In Lamghānāt they call it the wood-fowl. Its head and breast are black, its wings and tail red, its eyes a very deep red.* From its being weak and flying ill, it never comes out of the woods, whence it is that it gets the name of the wood-fowl.

Chamgīdri
(or flying
fox).

Another is the great bat; they call it chamgīdri.* It is about the size of the owl, and its head resembles that of a young whelp. It lays hold of a branch of the tree on which it intends to roost, turns head undermost, and so hangs, presenting a very singular appearance.

Aakeh.

Another is the aakeh* of Hindustān; they call it mitā. It is a little smaller than the common aakeh, which is parti-coloured black and white, while the mitā is parti-coloured brown and black.

There is another bird whose size may be equal to that of the sandūlaj-mamūla.* It is of a beautiful red, and on its wings has a little black.

Kārcheh.

Another is the kārcheh. It resembles the kārlughāch,* but is much larger than that bird; it is entirely of a black colour.

Koel.

Another is the koel,* which in length may be equal to the crow, but is much thinner. It has a kind of song, and is the nightingale of Hindustān. It is respected by the natives of Hindustān as much as the nightingale by us. It inhabits gardens where the trees are close planted.

There is another bird resembling the shikrāk. It lives close among and about trees,* and may be about the size of a shikrāk. It is green-coloured like the parrot.*

Aquatic
animals.

Of the aquatic animals, one is the alligator.* It dwells in standing waters,* and resembles the crocodile.* They say Alligator. that it carries off men, and even buffaloes. Another is the sipsar* (another species of alligator). This, too, is like the crocodile. It inhabits all the rivers of Hindustān. One was caught and brought to me. It may be about four or five gaz in length,* and some are even larger. Its snout is upwards of half a gaz long. Both in its upper and lower jaw it has several very small ranges of teeth. It comes out and sleeps* on the edge of the water.

Water-hog.

Another is the water hog,* which is also found in all the rivers of Hindustān. It springs up from the water with a jerk, puts up its head* and plunges it down again, leaving no part of its body visible but the tail. The jaw* of this animal, too, is like that of the alligator. It is long, and has the same kind of ranges of teeth; in other respects its head and body are like a fish. While it is playing in the water it resembles a water-bag. The water-hogs that are in the river Sarū,* while sporting, leap right out of the water. This animal, too, resembles a fish in never leaving the water.

Gariāl.

Another is the gariāl, which is a large fish. Many of the army saw it in the river Sarū. It carries off men. During the time that we remained on the river Saru, one or two slave boys* were seized by it and carried down. Between Ghāzipūr* and Benāres it also carried off two, three, or four of our men.* In that vicinity I saw the gariāl* from a distance, but I could not get a distinct view of it.

Kakeh.

The kakeh is another fish. On a line with its two ears issue two bones,* three fingers-breadth in length. When caught it shakes these two bones, which return a singular sound, whence they have given this fish its name of kakeh.

The flesh of the fishes of Hindustān is delicate, and they have few small bones.* They are surprisingly active. On one occasion a net was laid in a river, from side to side. The fish entered it.* Each side* of the net was then raised a gaz* above the water; yet many of the fish leaped, one after the other, a full gaz over the net, and escaped. There are, besides, in many rivers of Hindustān small fishes, which, if they hear a harsh sound, or the treading of a foot, instantly leap a gaz, or a gaz and a half, out of the water.

Frogs.

The frogs of Hindustān are worthy of notice. Though of the same species as our own, yet they will run six or seven gaz on the face of the water.

Fruits.

Of the vegetable productions peculiar to Hindustān, one Mango. is the mango (ambeh).* The natives of Hindustān generally pronounce the bi in it, as if no vowel followed; but as this makes the word difficult to articulate, it is sometimes called naghzak, as Khwājeh Khosrou* says: