The ass is generally considered as unholy by the Hindus, and its mere touch is held to cause pollution. But certain lower class Hindus like the Lonáris consider it sacred, and worship it on the Gokul Ashtami day (8th day of the dark half of Shráwan). The dog is believed to be an incarnation of the deity Khandoba, and it is respected as the favourite animal of the god Dattátraya. But it is not touched by high class Hindus. It is considered a great sin to kill a cat. All domestic animals are worshipped by the Hindus on the morning of the first day of Márgashirsha (December). On this day the horns of these animals are washed with warm water, painted with red colours, and a lighted lamp is passed round their faces. They are feasted on this day as it is considered to be the gala day (Diváli holiday) of the animals. Hindus consider it meritorious to feed ants and fish, and to throw grain to the birds. Ants are fed by the people scattering sugar and flour on the ant-hills. It is believed that, by feeding the ants with sugar or flour, a person obtains the Punya or merit of sahasrabhojan, i.e., of giving a feast to a thousand Bráhmans. Alligators are worshipped as water deities by the Hindus. The peacock is the favourite vehicle of Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning, and it is therefore respected by the people. The swan is the vehicle of Brahma, the god of creation. The eagle is the vehicle of the god Vishnu, and is a favourite devotee of that deity. It is therefore held sacred by Hindus. The cuckoo or Kokil is believed to be an incarnation of the goddess Párwati. This bird is specially worshipped by high caste Hindu women for the period of one month on the occasion of a special festival called the festival of the cuckoos, or Kokila vrata, which is held in the month of Ashádha at intervals of twenty years. The crow is generally held inauspicious by Hindus, but as the manes or pitras are said to assume the form of crows, these birds are respected in order that they may be able to partake of the food offered to the dead ancestors in the dark half of Bhádrapada called Pitrupaksha. It is necessary that the oblations given in performance of the funeral rites on the tenth day after the death of a person should be eaten by the crow. But if the crow refuses to touch these oblations, it is believed that the soul of the dead has not obtained salvation; and hence it is conjectured that certain wishes of the dead have remained unfulfilled. The son or the relatives of the dead then take water in the cavity of their right hand, and solemnly promise to fulfil the wishes of the dead. When this is done, the crow begins to eat the food. The harsh sound of a crow is taken as a sure sign of an impending mishap. The dog, cat, pig, ass, buffalo, rat, bhálu, an old female jackal, lizard, and the birds cock, crow, kite, vulture, owl, bat, and pingla are considered as unholy and inauspicious by Hindus. CHAPTER X. WITCHCRAFT.