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These people collect and destroy the eggs of the cranes, for it is in their country the cranes lay their eggs, and thus the eggs and the young cranes are not to be found anywhere else. Frequently a crane escapes having the brazen point of a weapon in its body, from wounds re- ceived in that country. 3 Equally absurd is the account given of the Enôtokoitai,
for dwarf. They were thougt to fight with vultures and
eagles. As they were of Mongolian origin, the Indians
represented them with the distinctive features of that race,
but with their repulsiveness exaggerated. Hence Megas-
thenês spoke of the Amuktêres, men without noses, who
had merely breathing-holes above the month. The Kirâtæ
are no doubt identical with the Scyrites (V. L. Syrictes) of
Plinius and the Kirrhadai of the Periplus Maris Erythræi.
X The Endtokoitai are called in Sanskṛit Karṇaprâva-
ramâs, and are frequently referred to in the great epic
poems — e.g. Mahâbh. II. 1170, 1875. The opinion was
universally prevalent among the Indians that barbarous
tribes had large ears: thus not only are the Karṇaprâva-
ramâs mentioned, but also Karṇikâs, Lambakarṇâs, Mahâ-
karṇâs (i.e. long or large eared), Ushṭrakarṇâs (i.e. camel-
eared), Oshṭhakarṇâs (i.e. having the ears close to the lips),
Pânkarṇâs (i.e. having hands for ears). Schwanb. 66.
"It is easy," says Wheeler (Hist. Ind. vol. III. p. 179),
"for any one conversant with India to point out the
origin of many of the so-called fables. The ants are not
as big as foxes, but they are very extraordinary excavators.
The stories of men pulling up trees, and using them as
clubs, are common enough in the Mahâbhârata, especially
in the legends of the exploits of Bhîma. Men do not
have ears hanging down to their feet, but both men and
women will occasionally elongate their ears after a very
extraordinary fashion by thrusting articles through the
lobe. ... If there was one story more than another
which excited the wrath of Strabo, it was that of a
people whose ears hung down to their feet. Yet the story
is still current in Hindustân. Bâbu Johari Dâs says: —
'An old woman once told me that her husband, a sepoy
in the British army, had seen a people who slept on one ear,
and covered themselves with the other.' (Domestic Man-
ners and Customs of the Hindus, Banâras, 1860.)" The story
may be referred to the Himâlayas. Fitch, who travelled
