105 
The Muchi is another important Bengal caste where 
the wearing of numerous chank bangles is a distinctive 
custom among the women. This is a leather-dressing 
and cobbler caste, socially a shade higher than the 
allied Chamars from whom the Muchis appear to be an 
offshoot. One of the obvious distinctions between the 
women of these castes lies in the character of the brace- 
lets worn. Thus while the female Chamar prides herself 
on huge bracelets of bell metal adorning her arms, the 
Muchi woman always substitutes chank | bangles. The 
Muchis, like the Paraiyar of the South, are largely the 
caste drummers of the province and as they are fond of 
the violin and the pipe are usually employed as musi- 
cians 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 
eauntlet 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 
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 z 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. 
Risley 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 origin attributed to the Kochh tribe which 
includes both the Rajbansi and the Paliya, this becomes 
