Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 5 1887.djvu/338

 330 the fact that, in Malay, the word tuhang means "an artificer," and is said by Jerdon to be applied "in some of the Malayan isles" to the hornbills, while in South America toucan seems to be a Brazilian name for a Brazilian bird (Rhamphastes or Zygodactyle), which is also called by the Spaniards "Carpintero" from the noise he makes. Col. Yule also notices that Malay dictionaries show no application of the word tukang to the bird.

Dr. Jerdon was right, and I am in a position to assert positively that the word tukang is applied in Kedah (West Coast Malay Peninsula) to a species of horn-bill, which I believe to be the one named at the top of this note. Kedah Malays make buttons of the yellow beak or horn of the tukang, and believe that they change colour according to the state of health of the wearer. If he falls sick they become discoloured like a bruise and turn black on the approach of poison.

(Ruwak-Ruwak).—The bird about which the following beliefs are held by the Perak Malays is perhaps Ardea Sumatrana:—

The Malays say that its nest is never found. Should it be found the possession of it gives to the finder the power of making himself invisible (alimun), Having no nest or eggs, it is of course childless, and when this bird is heard calling in the swamps, Malays say sarcastically that the ruwak-ruwak is bathing her young one. If one goes near and looks, the bird will be seen to be dipping a twig or else its bent leg into the water, in the attitude of a native woman bathing a child on her knee, uttering its call all the time.

(Turtur Tigrinus),—About this bird, burong-te-kukur, which is a favourite cage-bird with the Malays, the following legend is related. There was once a maiden, who with her little sister lived with her parents far up country. Her father opened up a hill-farm for rice cultivation, and day after day used to go forth to his work accompanied by his wife. The elder girl importuned her parents to let her go too and help, but being just of a marriageable age she was kept at home according to Malay custom. So she was always put off with some excuse, being told first that she might come some day when all the trees had been pulled, then when the wood had been