see 
REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. xxiii 
on those studies in the early history of the family and the growth of society which 
are associated with the names of McLennan, Morgan, Maine, and Lubbock. Owing 
to the influence of the caste system, which by restricting intermarriage tends to 
preserve distinctions of type, India offers a peculiarly favourable field for anthropo- 
metric research. The division of the people into a large number of separate social 
aggregates, each maintaining its own peculiar customs, seems to lead to the trans- 
mission of early usage in a comparatively unaltered form. 
4. While fully recognising the value of the anthropometric inquiries already 
undertaken, the Council observe that they cover only a portion of Northern India, 
while provinces which promise to yield results of special interest remain at present 
wholly untouched. In order to obtain data upon which final conclusions might be 
based, it would be desirable to collect similar measurements for selected castes and 
_ tribes in Madras, Bombay, the Central Provinces, and Assam, and at the same time 
to undertake in the Punjab a larger series of observations than have hitherto been 
_made. The Council understand that the services of the trained measurers who took 
_ the Bengal observations might, under similar conditions, be again available; and 
they are advised that the cost of employing them for the period necessary to com- 
plete the work would not exceed 10,000 rupees. Mr. Risley, who conducted the 
Bengal inquiries, is willing to direct and supervise the operations in India, and to 
prepare the results for publication in any form that may be thought suitable. The 
Council accordingly express a hope that your Lordship may be moved to commend 
this proposal to the favourable consideration of the Government of India. 
5. As regards the exogamous and endogamous subdivisions of tribes and castes, 
the Council venture to suggest that the approaching census of India offers an admi- 
table opportunity for collecting lists of these without incurring unreasonable expen- 
diture. Itis understood that the enumerator’s schedule will in any case contain a 
column in which the caste of every individual is entered, and it would appear that 
the addition of columns showing the exogamous and endogamous groups would not 
add materially to the cost of the operations. The information thus obtained would 
have great scientific value, while it would further tend to enhance the accuracy of 
the census itself. The Council are informed that in the last census of Bengal a 
Jarge number of persons when asked for their caste-name gave instead the name of 
the exogamous or endogamous group to which they belonged, and that in most cases 
it was found impossible to assign these persons to any particular caste. By extend- 
' ing the range of inquiry in the manner suggested, this source of error would be 
eliminated. 
6. In conclusion, if it should not be considered advisable to make a complete 
_ religious census, the Council would suggest that in the course of the house-census 
which precedes the actual enumeration it should be ascertained by what sect each of 
the existing temples is used. Statistics illustrating this point would throw much 
light on the development of the various forms of Brahminism, and would be a valu- 
able contribution to the history of religion in the East. 
We have the honour to be, 
Your Lordship’s most obedient Servants, 
W. H. FLOWER, President. 
DOUGLAS GALTON, 
ao GOs El Secu General Secretaries. 
To this letter the following reply has been received :— 
India Office, Whitehall, S.W. 
March 31, 1890. 
Sir,—I am directed by the Secretary of State for India in Council to acknowledge 
the receipt of your letter of the 26th ultimo, in which, with reference to the valuable 
ethnographical researches of Mr. H. H. Risley in Bengal, it is suggested that similar 
_ anthropometric data should be collected in other parts of India, and that advantage 
should also be taken of the approaching census to ascertain the exogamous and 
endogamous groups to which the members of the different tribes and castes of the 
people of India belong. 
In reply, Iam to inform you that his Lordship in Council has been much inter- 
ested in the proposals made by you on behalf of the British Association, which are 
of great value as indicating the course ethnographical investigations should take in 
; India, and a copy of your letter has been forwarded to the Government of India. 
