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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [Vol. IX. 



sterility, pass a night there, and consecrate their first-born, in 

 advance, to the temple service. In the morning " they find 

 a Chua at their side who is supposed to promote conception 

 and beget Chuas." It will indeed be allowable to make 

 another interpretation, and assume direct agency, wherein 

 less impotent individuals than Dr. Johnston saw are 

 employed ; however it may be, this example very well 

 illustrates the distinction between microcephaly and nano- 

 cephaly. 



It may, therefore, without hesitation, be admitted that the 

 impaired bodily and mental development of the Veddas is 

 not owing to a really morbid condition, which as such 

 might be hereditary, but rather to be regarded as a race- 

 peculiarity. This, however, by no means excludes the possi- 

 bility that favourable outward circumstances, especially 

 better food, might produce a more complete development, and 

 the body become larger and stronger, the skull and brain for- 

 mation more perfect. In fact such cases appear among the 

 Veddas, as is proved by examples previously given. A man 

 of 1,638 mm. in height far exceeds the average, and though 

 the one skull in the Davis collection which has a capacity of 

 1,614 cub. cm. may be considered as a kind of abnormity, 

 there is still the other out of the collection in the College of 

 Surgeons of 1,420 cub. cm., which (supposing it to be genuine) 

 is a very noteworthy specimen. 



It might follow from this that the Sinhalese are civilised 

 Veddas, who simply owe the superiority of their physical 

 development to their better life. The Island of Ceylon had 

 of old the reputation of affording the most favourable condi- 

 tions for the existence of men, and was celebrated for the 

 longevity of its inhabitants. " In Taprobanem," Palladius* 

 writes, "ubi gens est Macrobiorum, namque eximia coeli 

 temperie...ad setatem 150 annorum senes durant." Saint 



* Palladium, I. o.. p. 3 ; of. Plmius. Nat, Historia, lib. VI.. c. 2L "Vitam 

 homimum cenfcum annis modicam." 



