Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Seite 680

THE GARUDA, OR SACRED KITE
040
for the rest of the day.
It is a common bird
Naturalists classify it among the eagles (the
Malabar eagle), but it is the smallest of the species. It
measures barely a foot from its beak to the tip of its tail,
and about two feet and a half across its outspread wings.
Its body is covered with glossy feathers of a bright chestnut
its head, neck, and breast are whitish
the ends
colour
its feet are yellow, with
of its wings are a glossy black
black claws. It is a pretty and graceful bird to look at
but its offensive odour renders a near acquaintance un-
It utters a harsh, shrill, quavering cry like kra!
pleasant.
kra! the last note of which is prolonged into a mournful
Though apparently strong and vigorous, it never
wail.
attacks any bird larger than itself that would be likely to
good luck
enough.
;
;
;
;
offer resistance.
Indeed
makes one doubt whether
its
it
timid and cowardly nature
really does belong to the
same
It wages per-
species as the king of the feathered tribe.
When
petual war upon lizards, rats, and especially snakes.
it espies one of the last-named, it swoops down upon it,
seizes it in its talons, carries it up an enormous height, and
then lets it drop. Following swiftly, it picks it up again,
killed of course by its fall, and flies off with it to some
neighbouring tree where it may be devoured at leisure.
Probably out of gratitude for the services rendered by this
bird in ridding the country of reptiles, the Hindus have
erected shrines in its honour, just as the Egyptians, from
a similar motive, placed the ibis amongst their tutelary
deities.
The garuda also feeds on frogs and any small fish that it
can seize in shallow water. Moreover, it does not show
much
consideration for the poultry-yards of
its
worshippers,
on which it often makes a raid. But its cowardice is such
that an angry hen defending her chickens can easily put it
to flight, and only the chickens which have imprudently
wandered from their mother's side are likely to fall into its
clutches. Protected by superstition, the bird has no fear of
man it may often be seen on the roof of a house, or in some
frequented place. Sunday is the day specially devoted to
garuda-worshi]).
I have often seen Vishnavites assembled
together on that day for the express purpose of paying it
homage. They call the birds around them by throwing
;