Page:Asoka - the Buddhist Emperor of India.djvu/208

206 the whitish-grey dove, common in some parts of India (Columba (?) spec.). 'Village-pigeons,' the common 'blue-rock' (Columba intermedia), which frequents wells, mosques, &c.

'Utilized,' for their skins or in other ways.

'Caponing,' forbidden as a practice not essential, and intended merely to improve the flavour of the flesh.

'Chaff,' as that lying on a threshing-floor, sometimes burnt to get rid of vermin. 'Forests.' Burma supplies an illustration. 'During the progress [of the first rise of the river] some hunters went to one of these islands where many deer were to be found, and set ﬁre to the grass to drive them out of cover, shooting them as they came out' (Fielding Hall, The Soul of a People, p. 299).

'The living must not be fed with the living;' as hawks with the blood of living pigeons, a. cruel practice said to be still in vogue. Other cases readily occur to the mind.

For elephant-preserves, see the rules in Arthaśâstra, Bk. ii, chap. 2, 31. Asoka no doubt had a 'superintendent of elephants,' as his predecessors had. 'Fish-pond,' keraṭabhoge, a piece of water reserved for the use of the Kewats or fishermen. The close days for fish amounted to fifty-six in the year.

'Castration,' an unholy,although necessary operation. I-tsing asserts that 'the Buddha did not allow even castration' (transl. Takakusu, p. 197). 'The Hindus of Bengal, before the Muhammedan conquest, are said never to have castrated the bull. In fact, I found that any questions on this subject were exceedingly disagreeable, and that although the landlords and their agents tolerated the practice in the Muhammedans and impure tribes, yet they considered it as very illegal and disgraceful, and not fit to be mentioned' (Buchanan in Martin, Eastern India, 1838, vol. ii. p. 891). 'Branding,' of cattle, see Araśâstra, Bk. ii, chap. 29; 23nd for the ancient practice in Ceylon, see ''Ceylon Nut. Review'', 1907, p. 334.

As to Tishya days and the seasons see comment on Kalinga Borderers' Edict. 'Punarvasu' is the seventh lunar asterism or nakskutra. Bühler (loc. cit.) discusses the subject fully.

The Arthaśâstra, Bk. i, chap. 26, headed 'The Superintendent of Slaughter-house' (transl, p. 152), gives a. list of protected