I/O S lulls as evidence of the Migrations. 



Thurston'* also cites a curious custom among the Chettis 

 (traders) of Southern India of unmarried girls wearing a 

 necklace of the money-cowry and beads, it being " unusual 

 for unmarried girls to wear any badge of their condition. 

 This association of cowries with the unmarried is of great 

 interest in view of a somewhat similar custom in East 

 Africa, to which reference is made on another page. 

 Thurston further states that " when a Hasalara or Hasala 

 (forest tribe) of Mysore dies, somebody's evil spirit is 

 credited with the mishap, and an astrologer is consulted 

 to ascertain its identity. He throws cowry {Cypi'cea 

 vioneia) shells or rice for divination, and mentions the 

 name of some neighbour as the owner of the devil. There- 

 upon the spirit of the dead is redeemed by the heir or 

 relative bj' means of a pig, fowl, or other guerdon." 

 (Thurston, op. cit., pp. 164-5). 



Turning to Ceylon we find that Hildburgh, in his 

 "Notes on Sinhalese Magic,""" states that cowries are 

 worn as amulets by infants. This same writer also gives 

 illustrations (pi. xi.) of masks worn by devil-dancers in 

 v.hich sometimes the upper, or both upper and lower, 

 teeth are formed qf cowry-shells. Culin, in his " Chess 

 and Playing-Cards,""" describes a cowry game, Kavvadi 

 Kelia, in which cowries of different kinds are used as men, 

 each player also having three cowries as dice. This game 

 is clearly related to the Hindu game of Pachisi, also 

 played with cowries. The shells are thrown as dice and 

 the counts are according as the apertures fall uppermost 

 or not. " The game of Fachisi," sa3'S Culin, " may be 



'■'" E. Tluirston, " Ethnographic Notes in Southern India," Madras, 

 1906, p. 68 ; In his article on " Some .Marriage Customs in Suutliern India" 

 \Madras GoT't. Miis. Bulklhi, vol. iv,, No. 3, 1903, p. 155), Thurston gives 

 the species as Cypiau aiaHca. 



'" Journ. h'. .Anlhrop. lust., vol. 38 (1908), \>. 193. 



Ill' Kiporl U. S. .Va/. .Viis., for 1S96 (189S), pp. 851--I. 



