186 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [August, 1905. 
on her left side. J think it is a circular mark that is made. If 
this precaution was not taken, the offsprimg would be deformed. 
I once met a lad on the roadside with a deformed leg. [I after- 
wards questioned the man who accompanied me as to the probable 
cause of the deformity. The reply was “ Grahan khich liya”—The 
eclipse has drawn it up. His meaning was that shortly before 
the lad was born, there had been an eclipse, which caused the 
deformity. 
58. Cause of another deformity—There is a firm belief that 
if one should havea sixth finger, it was caused by his having 
stolen garlic or huldi (turmeric) in the previous incarnation. 
So firm is this belief that gardeners have no fear of losing these 
vegetables from their gardens by theft. One who steals would 
appear in the next world with the mark of theft on his hand. 
59. Toothache, Cause and Cure.-—An insect is said to be 
boring in the tooth and causes the pain. In order to remove the 
insect, the patient is given a piece of hollow bamboo and he sits 
over a slow fire in which some particular leaf is burning. One 
end of the hollow bamboo is over the smoke rising from the 
fire, the other end is placed in the mouth as near as possible to 
the decayed tooth. It is said that the insect comes out of the 
tooth, falls through the hollow bamboo into the fire, and the 
toothache ceases. The gum of some of the Indian figs is also 
used to close the hollow of a decayed tooth. 
60. Anent the Holi Festival—Crooke in his Folklore of Upper 
India gives many interesting particulars regrading the Holz. 
I will mention only a few details observed in this locality. A 
heap of thorns, ete., are stacked about the first of the lunar 
month of Pha@gun. This stack is made just outside the village on 
some open space. As the days go by and the Holi festival draws 
near, the stack of thorns and dried branches increases continually, 
for the boys keep adding to the heap of fuel day by day. In the 
centre of the stack of thorns is a high bamboo pole, to which is 
tied a branch of the castor plant (Ricinus communis.) Under 
the pole which stands in the centre of the Holi stack are some 
kowries or pice, and some turmeric. To the top of the pole is tied 
a sheaf of dried grass or straw. On questioning a gardener as to 
when he would sow a certain vegetable, he replied he would do so 
when the Holi pole (dang) falls. His meaning was when the Holi 
is burnt. I find this is a common idiom—‘ When the Holi pole 
falls.” The stack is set on fire by the village priest, who presents 
hom at the village shrine, and he is often a Gond or a Baiga@ or 
one of the “ aboriginal tribes.” The fire with which the Holi is 
lighted must be obtained from the chak mak or flint and steel. 
No other fire will suffice. Some of the ashes of the Holi are kept 
and supposed to have power in remoying evil influences of spirits. 
61. The Burial of Gosais——On hearing of the burial of a 
prominent Gosai, I gathered the following information from some 
disinterested persons of other castes, who were present at the 
burial and witnessed the whole ceremony. (1) Immediately after: 
death the body was washed and covered with moist ashes. (2) A 
