140 PROCEEDINGS COTTESWOLD CLUB 1905 
From the Todas whom I questioned on the subject it was 
very difficult to elicit any definite information ; but the 
impression which their answers conveyed was that, now 
and then, they construct new circles, when they consider 
the old ones have been used long enough.” 
We have good accounts of these South Indian Circles 
by Messrs Walhouse’ and Breeks.* The former describes 
them as taking the form either of huge masses of granite 
disposed in an exact parallelogram, or sometimes in 
squares, enclosing figures formed of smaller rocks. In 
the centre of some rises a tumulus, which excavation has 
shown to be sepulchral, or in some cases possibly sacrifi- 
cial. The Kurumbas to this day worship their god 
Hiriadeva either in a cave or in a stone circle.? Mr Breeks 
speaks of one variety known as the “ draw-well” kind, con- 
sisting of a dry circular wall. Others seem never to have 
been regularly built up, but are formed of a heap of rough 
loose stones, sometimes arranged more carefully on the 
inner side of the enclosure, or faced inside with larger 
slabs, but sloping outside into a tumbled heap. A third 
kind consists merely of a circle of stones, sometimes of 
long stones laid round on a sort of ridge sloping inward 
(which reminds us of Avebury), sometimes of rough 
stones embedded in the surface soil. 
The modern circles are found in great numbers over all 
the hilly tract lying south of the Gangetic valley. Some 
which I have seen in Mirzapur are roughly circular, 
usually surrounding kistvaens. But the form seems to 
be in a great measure immaterial, and the Kol monuments 
described by Dr Ball* are merely irregular groups of 
standing stones. Through what period of time these 
people, or the tribes who handed the practice down to 
r “Journal Anthropological Institute,” vii. 25. 
2 Op. cit., p. 73: 
3 Breeks, Of. cit., p. 53- 
4 “Jungle Life,” p. 163. 
