CRANIOLOGY OF PEOPLE OF INDIA. 67 



the parietal and occipital ; the vertical index was much below the cephalic. The glabella 

 and supra-orbital ridges were more prominent in the aged than in the younger man. 

 In both the forehead slightly receded. In the old skull the parieto-occipital region was 

 asymmetrical as if from artificial pressure, but in the other it had a gentle slope 

 backwards. The nasion was not depressed, and the bridge of the nose, concave from 

 above downwards, was distinct, though less so in the old man. The nose was 

 platyrhine in the old skull, 57*8, and nearly so in the adult — viz., 52*1, in which also 

 the upper jaw was mesognathous. In both the orbital index was mesoseme. The 

 muscular ridges were stronger in the aged skull, which was markedly phsenozygous, and 

 wide both in the interzygomatic and intermalar diameters ; it rested behind on the 

 mastoids. The adult cranium was nearly cryptozygous, and rested behind on the 

 occipital bone. In both the cubic capacity was small, the mean of the two being 

 1226 c.c. 



Kharwdr. Table I. 



In Chiita Nagpur and Southern Behar is a non- Aryan tribe named Kharwar, who 

 speak a Kolarian tongue. The Bhogtas are the most important division of the tribe. 

 Dalton states that the Kharwars are mixed up with the Cheros, living in the same 

 district, with whom they claim affinity. Both have become proselytes to Hinduism. 

 When visited in 1794 by Captain J. T. Blunt, they were seen to be nearly naked, and 

 armed with bows, arrows, and hatchets. Buchanan found that whilst some were land- 

 owners and others labourers, there were others again who were obviously primitive in- 

 habits, and represented the aboriginal inhabitants. The low Kharwars are said by 

 Dalton to resemble strongly the Santals. The skin was very dark, nose low and 

 pyramidal-shaped, lips thick and protuberant, zygomata so prominent that the temples 

 were hollow. Another observer says that the hair was black and straight. The 

 facial type is much more refined in the land-owning class, owing to intermarriage with 

 high castes. The women are tattooed as in other Dravidian tribes. The Kharwars are 

 totemistic, and marriage within the same sect is forbidden. They have in a large 

 measure adopted the Hindu practice of infant marriage ; in the more primitive tribes 

 the marriage of widows is permitted. Some of the clans continue to offer sacrifices to 

 spirits. They practise cremation, and throw the ashes into a running stream. They 

 will not eat flesh, but cultivate the soil for grain. According to the Census Report 

 for 1891, their numerical strength was 112,298, but only 7651 spoke the tribal 

 language. 



The Indian Museum contains a skull, No. 551, of a man named Bahadur of the 

 Bhogta division of the Kharwar tribe. He came from Gola, Hazaribagh, Chuta Nagpur. 

 He was reported as 29 years old, 5 feet 0'5 inch high ; eyes brown, not very almond 

 shaped ; beard very scanty, slight moustache, no whiskers ; lips everted ; nose pyra- 

 midal ; cheek bones prominent. He died of phthisis, and is said to have been a poor 

 example of his race. The skull was presented by Dr J. Wood. 



VOL. XL. PART I. (NO. 6). L 



