2 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [January, 1910. 



First Division, 



Styles without a Knife edge attached. 



Pens belonging to the first division are figured on plate 

 , If the reader will kindly turn to the plate he will ob- 

 serve that the pens are grouped on it into six series. The first 

 series illustrates types 1 to 4, being simple light styles : the 

 second series is of equally double-pointed styles, — types 5 

 and 6 : the third series is of long styles weighted at the very 

 apex, being types 7 to 9 : the fourth series is of fusiform styles, 

 types 10 and 11 : the fifth series is of styles weighted by a more 

 abrupt swelling, — types 12 to 15; and the last series of the plate 

 is of heavy tapering styles which are here types 16 and 17. The 

 descriptions of the figures may conveniently be given series by 

 series : the first series is of the following styles : — 



Fig. 1. Type 1. Style No. 10862, from the Kistna District. 



Fig. 2. Type 2. Style No. 10666, from the Malabar District. 



Fig. 3. Type 3. Style No. 10790, from the Godaveri District. 



Fig. 4. Type 4. Style No. 10808, from the Kistna District. 



Fig. 5. Type 4. Style No. 10810, from the Kistna District. 



The iron style in its simplest form may be very like a 

 T j porcupine quill ; and with such a type we 



may conveniently start. Short light 

 styles of no greater length than the porcupine quill are uncom- 

 mon but exist ; and figure 1 is of an example from the Kistna 

 District: its total length is 7| inches; its weight is only f oz.. 

 and its centre of gravity 4| inches from the point. 



A somewhat similar style is seen in figure 2 from Malabar: 

 T 2 it is 6| inches long ; it weighs,! £ oz., and 



has its centre of gravity 4 inches from 

 the tip. It is a transition towards type 10. 



Longer simple styles are much commoner than these short 

 Type 3. simple styles. Firstly may be considered 



two which come from the Godaveri Dis- 

 trict, one of which is here shown as figure 3. It has an unusual 

 slight, but abrupt, thickening towards the middle. The other 

 has no such thickening. Both have exactly similar obtuse 

 points. Their lengths are respectively 8| and §i inches ; their 

 weights are 2 oz. each, and their centres of gravity 4f and 4| 

 inches distant from their tips. 



Longer styles have been received abundantly from the 



Type 4. * Districts oi the Kistna and Godaveri and 



also from the contiguous Districts of 

 Ganjam, Vizagapatam, Kurnool and Nellore. The longest of 

 all come from the Kistna District : indeed the average length 

 (15 inches) of styles received from that District is greater than 



with 



typ 



stating the lengths, weights, and the distances of the centre 



