cxxiv Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S. XII, 



medicinal oils, one of which was extracted from boiling the foetus ex- 

 tracted from the womb of a woman in her first pregnancy and the other 

 from the fruit of a particular tree. The processes of extraction were too 

 elaborate for a detailed description. Suffice it to say that the sorcerer 

 with a mark on his forehead prepared with this kind of oil, and rubbing 

 it on his body and drinking some toddy, set up for this purpose during the 

 night, believed himself to be transformed into any animal he liked and 

 put his victim to death in no time. 



The Thandapulayans.— By L. K. Anantakrishna Iyer. 



The Thandapulayans are one division of the agricultural tribes in 

 Cochin and Travancore. They are in a most primitive state, wearing leafy 

 garments. 



On the Chronological sequence of some Megalithic 

 monuments. — By Kiren K. Sen Gupta. 



It is a common occurence to come across dolmens, locally known as 

 ••Muni-ara" (huts of sages and hermits) in the forests of the Cochin 

 State. The capstones are frequently found lying on the ground resem- 

 bling thereby graves of the IViundas. The Celts and Gauls ascribed the 

 construction of dolmens and menhirs to gods and heroes, and subsequent- 

 ly the Gallo-Romans saw in them the intervention of saints. This 

 probably is then the origin of the name "Muni-ara. " The entablature 

 stones are generally observed with their plain faces downward or inward. 

 In France, the orientation of the dolmens is very variable, the entrance 

 being directed to any point of the horizon, although according to Cartail- 

 hac it faces the east in some cases. In the Cochin State the entrance to 

 the dolmens is invariably directed to the west, there being no doors 

 either with a circular, oval, or rectangular aperture, the only exception 

 being a dolmen with a parabolic opening. Most of the dolmens are 

 simple, and no evidence has been observed as to their having been covered 

 with a cairn or tumulus. There is a solitary instance of a menhir which 

 consists of an irregular and flat upright monolith 13 feet high. The 

 orientation of the menhir is N. 20° W. and there are three other small 

 monoliths forming a straight row. In India, the form of menhirs varies 

 greatly in widely separated localities. In Singbhum, they are in rude 

 obelisk forms fixed on end and arranged in straight rows. The dolmen of 

 Kergavat in Brittany has a huge capstone propped on four stone slabs at 

 the corners perhaps representing the intermediate stage in the evolution 

 of dolmens from the flat stones almost lying on the ground supported on 

 four chips at the corners, as in Singhbhum, to the highly developed forms 

 represented by the South Indian dolmens consisting of smooth and flat 

 slabs arranged in the form of enclosed cellars. Monoliths overtopping a 

 tumulus are also observed in Singhbhum resembling the Bauta (grave or 

 battle) stones of Scandinavia. In England and elsewhere menhirs and 

 dolmens are often found at the centre of cromlechs or stone circles, and 

 such enclosures were perhaps used, like many of the modern churches, 

 for the double purpose of burying the dead and addressing the living. 

 At Vellarakad, hat-stones and umbrella-stones are found associated to- 

 gether. The hat-stones consist of four stones, convex outside, forming the 

 four segments of a truncated cone, the truncated top being capped by a 

 huge circular plano-convex stone with bevelled edges. Hat-stones with 

 flat capstones have not been observed in the State. Adjoining the hat- 

 stones are some high conical structures made up of some eight or nine 

 stones measuring seven feet long but without any capstones. The um- 

 brella-stones associated with these monuments are, however, found flat 

 on the ground. They are circular in shape and invariably made of 

 laterite. Logan was perhaps not aware of the occurrence of topihall" 

 {hat-stone) in association with kuta-kaUu (umbrella- stone) and was thus 



