CRANIOLOGY OF PEOPLE OF INDIA. 75 



territory known as Kolhan. The Hos admit that they are of the same family as the 

 Miindas, and that they came from Chiita Nagpur. Dalton considers that from their 

 isolation and independence, they furnish the best illustration of the characteristics of 

 the Mundaris. They are physically a much finer people than the Bhiimij, Santals, or 

 Kharrias. The men are 5 feet 5 or 6 inches in height, the women 5 feet 2 inches ; they 

 have an erect carriage. The skin has a brownish coppery tint ; the eyes are dark 

 brown; the hair is black, straight or wavy. Many have high noses, oval faces, and 

 young girls are sometimes seen with delicate features, finely chiselled straight noses, so 

 that there may be an admixture of Aryan blood. Dalton has also met some with 

 strongly marked Mongolian features and a dark skin like the Santals. 



The clothing is reduced to a minimum, and often consists only of a loin-cloth 

 brought between the thighs and fastened in front to a girdle. The women wear the 

 hair collected into a kuot touching the back of the right ear and decorated with flowers. 

 Marriage is between adults and is exogamous, and widow marriage is permitted. The 

 national emblem is a godna or arrow. The dead are cremated and the ashes are buried, 

 the spot being marked by a large grave-stone, and often a megalithic monument is set 

 up outside the village. They are active and courageous, truthful and sensitive to 

 wrong. They cultivate the ground, but eat also fowls and the flesh of pigs. They 

 worship the sun and several other deities. In the general Report on the Census of 

 1891, it is stated that the Miinda, Ho, Kol, Kur, and. Korwa people number 1,109,157 

 by tribe, and that of these 840,282 speak the tribal language. 



In the series of skulls lent to me by the Indian Museum, six specimens are 

 marked Kol or Cole. One of these, No. 31, from Singbhum, designated Larkha Kol, 

 was presented by Colonel Dalton; another, No. 557, from the Kandhmals, marked 

 Pan Cole, said to be 42 years old, height 5 feet 8 inches, and of dark complexion, was 

 presented by Dr W. B. Stewart. Nos. 440, 442, and 444, also presented by Dr 

 Stewart, were from Keunjhar, Orissa. No. 24, named Phugooa, given by Colonel 

 Dalton, was from Moorgoo, Chiita Nagpur ; the age was said to be 65, the stature 

 5 feet 5 inches ; hair of head straight, grey, that of face scanty ; eyes regular ; food 

 rice, flesh, and vegetables. 



In the same museum were nine skulls, marked Munda from Chiita Nagpur. 

 Of these, No. 25 is said to have been in height 5 feet 4 inches ; hair black, coarse, 

 straight; eyes large, black, straight; food, rice, flesh, vegetables; whilst No. 26 was 34 

 years old ; height 5 feet 5 inches ; hair black, coarse ; eyes large, black, straight ; food as 

 above ; they were presented by Colonel Dalton. The others were collected in or near 

 Kanchi by Mr W. H. P. Driver. Dr Hedley Wood has presented to me the skull of 

 a woman aged 24, also obtained at Ranchi. 



Sixteen crania marked Munda or Kol have therefore come under observation ; 

 thirteen of which are apparently those of men and three those of women. They are 

 all adults, with the exception of No. 25, said to be that of a youth of 18, in which, 

 though the wisdom teeth were not erupted, the basi-cranial synchondrosis was ossified. 

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



