of living subjects belonging to different sections of the Brāhman caste. In this work we were helped by Mr. Surya Kumār Guha, M.A., then Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rajshahi, Mr. Hem Chandra Ganguly, M.A., of the Rajshahi College, and other friends. In 1910 the Government of Eastern Bengal and Assam placed me on special duty for ethnological researches for three months on the recommendation of the Hon'ble Mr. H. Sharp, M.A., then Director of Public Instruction. In taking measurements with instruments lent by the Ethnographical Survey of India during this period of deputation I was greatly assisted by Mahārāja Sir Girijānāth Ray Bahadur, K.C.I.E., of Dinajpur, the Hon'ble Mahārāja Sir Manindra Chandra Nandī, K.C.I.E., of Kāśīmbāzār, Mahāśay Tārak Chandra Ghose of Bhagalpur, Paṇḍit Binodvihari Vidyābinod of Bhātpāḍā, Dr. Mohini Mohan Ghosh of Champanagar, Bhagalpur, Principal Rāmendra Sundar Trivedī of Calcutta, and Mr. Rākhāldās Banerji of the Calcutta Museum, to all of whom I gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness.
My thanks are also due to Professor Srish Chandra Śāstrī who drew my attention to some of the passages of the Mahābhāṣya quoted in the text and helped me in explaining their meaning, and to Mr. Akṣay Kumar Maitra and Professors Upendra Nath Ghosal and Ramesh Chandra Mazumdar who have rendered me occasional help in correcting the proofs.
The system of transliteration adopted is that recommended by the Council of the Royal Asiatic Society with the exception of ṃ for ṁ. Owing to a large number of quotations it has not been possible to follow the system consistently. Unfortunately a considerable number of mistakes also have escaped my notice.
Rajshahi, June, 1916.
