84 PROFESSOR SIR W. TURNER ON 



palatomaxillary index in one was brachyuranic, in the other mesuranic. In one 

 the complete facial index was chamseprosopic, in the other high-faced leptoprosopic. 

 The teeth were somewhat worn from use ; the canine and incisor fossae were deep. 

 The cranial sutures were distinct. In one there were no irregular ossifications ; in 

 the other the right pterion had a large epipteric bone. The muscular ridges and 

 processes were well marked. In one the cubic capacity, 1414, was mesocephalic ; 

 in the other, 1235 c.c, microcephalic. The lower jaw was well proportioned and 

 possessed a square chin. 



Another skull from Manbhum, an adult male, No. 407 in the Indian Museum, is 

 marked " race unknown." It is a characteristic specimen of a scaphocephaly cranium. 

 Although not known to be a Bhiimij, yet as it came from Manbhum, it is convenient to 

 describe its characters here. The skull was greatly elongated and narrow, strongly 

 keeled in the sagittal region, and with the suture obliterated ; the lambdoidal suture 

 was almost completely obliterated, but the coronal and the lateral longitudinal sutures 

 were to all appearance unossified. The glabella and supra-orbital ridges were prominent, 

 and the nasion was depressed. The nasal bones were short and prominent. The canine 

 and incisive fossae were deep. The nasal spine of the superior maxillae was moderate. 

 The dimensions of the skull are given in Table IV. The modifications in shape produced 

 by the premature closure of the sagittal and lambdoidal sutures have, however, deprived 

 this skull of any ethnic significance. It will be seen from the Table that owing to the 

 elongation of the cranium and the diminished parieto-squamous breadth, the length- 

 breadth index is only 64*4. The cubic capacity, 1410 c.c, is apparently not affected by 

 the cranial deformity. 



Turi. Table IV. 



The Turis are a non- Aryan tribe or caste, living in Chiita Nagpiir. In his account of 

 these people Mr Risley states that they are without doubt a Hinduised offshoot of the 

 Miindas. He adduces in support of this opinion the following : — They use amongst 

 themselves a dialect of Mundari ; their totems correspond closely with those in force 

 amongst the Miindas ; their original religion is closely akin to the form of animism 

 current among the Miindas. 



The Turis are cultivators and makers of baskets. They are, like the Miindas and 

 Oraons, lax in articles of food. Each sub-caste is strictly endogamous. Girls usually 

 marry as adults and widows can marry again. The caste is small, and in 1881 num- 

 bered apparently about 30,000 persons. 



Two crania, marked Turi, are in the Indian Museum. No. 22 is that of Bitna, from 

 Surungee. He was 28 years old ; 5 feet 4 inches high ; hair black, straight ; eyes black, 

 small ; no beard or whiskers. No. 23, Sookeam, was from Teerrah. He was 35 years 

 old ; 5 feet 3 inches high ; hair black, straight ; eyes black ; no beard or whiskers. Both 

 men had been hanged in Ranchi jail as murderers. 



