I50 



which In many cases show distuict traces of a totemistic 

 organization. Among these the Kurmis of Bengal, and 

 the nomad Koravas who wander throughout the penin- 

 sular part of India, both have an exogamous sept or gotra 

 of which the totem is the chank-shell. Among the Kurmis 

 this sept is called Sankhawar ; its members are prohibited 

 from wearing ornaments made from chank-shells. With 

 the Koravas it is termed Samudrala, signifying the sea, 

 and people ot this sept may not use the chank in any 

 way. Higher than these are the Kalinjis, an Uriya 

 agricultural caste, and the Kurubas, a caste of shepherds 

 and weavers widely spread throughout the Madras Presi- 

 dency. Both castes comprise septs named after the chank, 

 in the case of the Kalinjis Sankho, in that of the Kurubas 

 Sankhu. I am not aware whether the septs among the 

 former caste have now totemistic value , or if it has 

 become merely a name, a gotra name ; in any case it may 

 be taken as certain that in the pre-Hinduised condition, 

 the name of the gotra was of real totemistic value. Bhago 

 (tiger) and nago (cobra) are names of two other gotras of 

 obviously totemistic origin. With the Kurubas, the sept 

 is undoubtedly exogamous and its totemistic character 

 certain. 



Another caste or sub-caste showing by the names of 

 its sections a probable totemistic origin is that of the 

 Koppala or Toththala, a sub-division of the Velamas, a 

 caste of agriculturists in the V^izagapatam district. 

 Among their sections are some named Naga (cobra), 

 Sankha (chank), Fulasi (basil or tulsi) and Tabelu 

 (tortoise). At the present day these divisions although 

 apparently of totemistic origin, have no significance so 

 far as marriage is concerned. (Thurston, VII, 340.) 



(/') Evil-eye surERSxiTiONS. 



Belief in the reality of the malign results which ensue 

 from being overlooked by the evil-eye is frequently 

 present in an acute form in the Madras Presidency. 

 It is specially dreaded in the case of houses under 

 construction and in respect to valued cattle. Every- 

 where in Tamil districts the custom prevails more or 

 less extensively of seeking protection for draft bullocks 

 by tying a small chank-shell upon the forehead of such 

 as are in good condition or in any way specially valuable 



