277

mentioned in Javanese literature. Beside cocks, the most popular kind in Javanese life is the turtle-dove (in modern Javanese called përkutut, in Old Javanese and Balinese titircm or kitiran). These small birds were prized for their voices. In some districts competitions of turtle-doves used to be or ganized: the bird with the best voice won. In 40.250 the interrelationship between the turtle-dove lore, divination and magic has been mentioned. Beside turtle-doves, another kind of do mesticated dove, in Javanese called dara, is also kept in the yards of Javanese homes. It is a curious fact that this kind of dove is seldom mentioned in literature and almost never associated with magic and divination. Limbs of the woodpecker (platuk bawan,) are used as medicines (see 40.180). Texts on the marks of turtle-doves and their meanings are in evidence in Old Java nese, Javanese-Balinese and modern Java nese literature. Moreover many books of notes contain notes on the subject, in com bination with texts on divination. Manu scripts containing such notes are registered in the General Index under the catchwords përkutut, kitiran, platuk bawanj and wood pecker. Some modern Javanese texts on perkututs have been published by local prin ters in Java. 41.260 Carcan ing pëksi prukutut, Java nese-Balinese treatises on turtle-dove div ination : cod. 3853 (also horse and jewels), 5164, 5239 (Laksana ning paksi kitiran), 5248, 9108 (Krt 51, Siksan Paksi), 10.031 (Krt 1928. 41.270 Carcan ing pëksi përkutut, Java

nese-Balinese didactic poem on turtle-doves, in Indian metres (kakawin) : cod. 9422. 41.280 Pigeon breeding, Dutch translation of a Javanese treatise: cod. 8974 no 3. 41.500 In Javanese mythology cats oc cupy a place of minor importance. Candra Mawa is the name of a cat which appears in rice-myths. In popular magic practices, especially in rain magic, cats are sometimes used. The remarkable knobs or curls in Javanese cats’ tails, a congenital deformation, and the colours of their coats gave occasion to divinatory speculations on the animals’ magic influence on their masters’ fortunes. In 40.250 under the head Magic reference has been made to Islamic tradition. Unlike cats, dogs frequently appear in Javanese mythology. In some wide-spread tales of mythic ancestors, sexual intercourse of a woman with a dog is the origin of a family or a group of people. In divination and magic practices dogs are seldom men tioned. Muslim aversion to dogs might be the explanation of the disregard of the ani mals in modern divination in Java. But Old Javanese and Javanese-Balinese texts on dog divination, comparable with horse or turtle dove divination, are also scarce. Most texts on cats and dogs are found together wth other texts in books of notes and compendiums (see the catchwords cat and dog in the General Index). A modern Javanese text on cat divination has been published by a local printer in Java. 41.510 Carcan Kucitj, Javanese-Balinese notes on cats’ marks: cod. 9471 (Krt 807).