52 OKHAMANDAL MARINE ZOOLOGY PART II 



the caste drummers of the province and as they are fond of the violin and the pipe are 

 usually employed as musicians at Hindu weddings. 



In Western Bengal and in Behar the Santals take the place occupied by the 

 Rajbansis and Paliyas in North-Eastern and Eastern Bengal as the chief chank bangle 

 wearing tribe. Many of their women follow the same habit of disposing of a number of 

 chank bangles, three to five usually, as a massive cuff-like gauntlet or compound bracelet. 

 These people being generally poor, the quality employed for these compound bracelets 

 is inferior and red and yellow lac are freely used upon them to enhance their appearance 

 and to disguise imperfections. Many indeed are too poor to afford these ornaments 

 and others belong to families which do not observe the custom ; in Birbhum which 



TKXT-FIGURE 2. 



Gauntlet pattern of compound bracelet worn by Paliya women, Bengal. 



may be taken as a characteristic Santal district, it is estimated that about half the female 

 Santal population follow this custom. Sometimes Santal girls wear them from an early 

 age but generally they are assumed at marriage. It has no religious significance and 

 marriage may be performed without the putting on of these bangles which are worn 

 more for ornament and because of custom than for any more serious reason. Like the 

 Hindus, Santal women break and throw away their bangles on the occasion of widowhood, 

 re-assuming others, if they wish, if they remarry. Dead shells are often employed by 

 the cutters for Santal bangles. 



Eisley states (II, p. 225) that the Santals in point of physical characteristics may be 

 regarded as typical examples of the pure Dravidian stock and in view of the similar 



