village has an accountant or writer called Menon. The title Menokki, meaning one who looks over or superintends, is found only in British Malabar, as it was exclusively a creation of the Zamorin. [They are, I gather, accountants in temples.] "There are numerous sub-divisions comprised under the general head Nayar, of which the most important, mentioned in vernacular books, are Kiriyam, Illam, Svarupam, Itacheri or Idacheri, Pallichan, Ashtikkurichchi, Vattakatan, Otatu, Pulikkal, Vyapari, Vilakkitalavan, and Veluthetan. Of these Ashtikkurichchi and Pulikkal are divisions of Maran, Vyapari is a division of Chettis, and Vilakkitalavan and Veluthetan are barbers and washermen respectively. "The chief divisions of Nayars, as now recognised, are as follows:-- 1. Kiriyam, a name said to be a corruption of the Sanskrit griha, meaning house. This represents the highest class, the members of which were, in former times, not obliged to serve Brahmans and Kshatriyas. 2. Illakkar.--The word illam indicates a Nambutiri Brahman's house, and tradition has it that every illam family once served an illam. But, in mediæval times, any Nayar could get himself recognised as belonging to the Illam division, provided that a certain sum of money, called adiyara, was paid to the Government. The Illakkar are prohibited from the use of fish, flesh, and liquor, but the prohibition is not at the present day universally respected. In some parts of Malabar, they have moulded many of their habits in the truly Brahmanical style. 3. Svarupakkar.--Adherents of the Kshatriya families of Travancore. The members of the highest group, Parur Svarupam, have their purificatory rites performed by Marans. It is stated that they were once the Illakkar servants of one Karuttetathu Nambutiri, who was the feudal lord of Parur, and afterwards became attached to the royal household which succeeded to that estate, thus becoming Parur Svarupakkar. 4. Padamangalam and Tamil Padam were not originally Nayars, but immigrants from the Tamil country. They are confined to a few localities in Travancore, and until recently there was a distinctive difference in regard to dress and ornaments between the Tamil Padam and the ordinary Nayars. The occupation of the Padamangalakkar is temple service, such as sweeping, carrying lamps during processions, etc. The Tamil Padakkar are believed to have taken to various kinds of occupation, and, for this reason, to have become merged with other sections. 5. Vathi or Vatti.--This name is not found in the Jatinirnaya, probably because it had not been differentiated from Maran. The word is a corruption of vazhti, meaning praying for happiness, and refers to their traditional occupation. They use a peculiar drum, called nantuni. Some call themselves Daivampatis, or wards of God, and follow the makkathayam system of inheritance (in the male line).