30 



from a mixture of Veddas and immigrants from India pos- 

 sesses great probability, as well upon historical as also upon 

 anthropological grounds 



2nd. — That the Veddas as well as the Sinhalese are, in 

 the main features, distinguished from the Ceylon Tamils, and 

 equally from those of Tanjore (Chola.) 



3rd. — That on the other hand, among the remnants of the 

 old Dravidian, or perhaps Pre-Dravidian tribes of Hindustan 

 we find even today evidence of analogies with the Veddas. 



The low development of the Veddas a race distinction and not 

 a hereditary morbid condition. — Have the Veddas remained in 

 the condition of the Proto-Dravidians, or possibly Pre-Dravi- 

 dians ? — or have they, in their isolation , sunk to a lower state ? 

 In other words, are they ethnologically to be turned to account 

 in order to paint anew the picture of this primitive period ? 

 If, in spite of reasons which seem to the Author conclusive, one 

 would assume that they have by degrees retrograded physically 

 and intellectually, we should be forced to represent them as a 

 pathological tribe ; and the question suggests itself whether the 

 tiny size of their skulls and small capacity for mental develop- 

 ment be not microcephaly in the pathological sense ? We can 

 distinctly deny this suggestion. The individuality of the 

 Veddas is psychically fully developed. So far as their needs 

 demand they have matured their capacities and are able to take 

 care of themselves and their children ; and they even associate., 

 so far as unavoidable, with neighbours and strangers in a free 

 way and as self-determined men. They are distinguished in all 

 the main features from microcephyles in the technical sense ; 

 and it may therefore be admitted, without hesitation, that the 

 inferior bodily and mental development of the Veddas is not 

 owing to a really morbid condition which, as such, might be 

 hereditary, but is rather to be regarded as a race peculiarity. 



This, however, by no means excludes the possibility that 

 favourable outward circumstances, especially better food, might 

 produce a more complete development, and the body become 

 larger and stronger, the skull and brain formation more perfect. 

 In fact such cases appear among the V eddas, as is proved by 



