The _Tarava_, or tame duck, is found in great abundance in the neighbourhood of Cochin; because in that district there are a great many rivers, where they procure nourishment. Their flesh, however, is almost unfit for food, as they devour too many pilchards. On board ship these animals are kept a long time on different food before they are killed[135]. An immense trade is carried on with these fowls in the maritime towns of India. It gives employment, in particular, to the Christians, Mahometans, and black Jews. The peacock is found also in Malabar. At _Vaypur_ and _Kidacolam_ I saw whole flocks of these fowls. They occasion great destruction in the gardens[136]. The wild cock, called _Kattucoli_, or _Kikidiri_, is a very beautiful animal. Its feathers are diversified with all sorts of colours, and have a shining appearance like gold[137]. The sparrow hawk, called in the Malabar language _Paranda_, and in the Samscred _Garhuda_, is, according to the Indian mythology, the vehicle on which _Vishnu_ commonly rides. It is held in great veneration, particularly by the Malabar women; and if one of these animals snatches a fish from their hand, they consider it as a most fortunate omen. The falcon affords the Indian warriors an agreeable diversion, for they train it to pursue game. The raven, _Kaka_, is considered by the Indians as a symbol of the human spirit after death. It is not, therefore, surprising, that in Malabar there should be an immense number of these birds of prey, which are exceedingly troublesome to the Europeans. The _Cembòtta_ is as large as the raven; but has red feathers, and eats snakes. The _Vesbàmbel_ is a fowl not much inferior in size to the ostrich, which devours snakes also. Father Hanxleden and Viscoping call it, in Portuguese, _Passaro de duos bicos_; for it has two bills, one of which is always filled with water. This water it procures in the plains, and preserves for a long time; as nature has assigned for its place of residence very high mountains, where scarcely any water is to be found, and from which it seldom descends[138]. The _Magnakli_ is one of the most beautiful birds in Malabar. It is entirely yellow, except the wings, which are black. The bird of paradise has a very small body, but two exceedingly long feathers in its tail[139]. _Pindàramcòli_ is the name of a water fowl, the feathers of which are blue[140]. The _Umen_ is a kind of geir falcon, or vulture. The Malabar bats are almost as big as chickens. They have large wings, terrible claws, and their whole bodies are covered with hair. Their head is shaped somewhat like that of a horse. The people of Malabar use them as food, and I myself have ate of them with pleasure. Their flesh is dry, and tastes almost like that of the hare[141]. Parrots, of all colours, forms and sizes, are found in Malabar in immense numbers. They and the apes are real plagues to the districts which they frequent; for they rob and steal wherever they come.