"Boomerangs," Dr. G. Oppert writes, [32] "are used by the Maravans and Kallans when hunting deer. The Madras Museum collection contains three (two ivory, one wooden) from the Tanjore armoury. In the arsenal of the Pudukottai Raja a stock of wooden boomerangs is always kept. Their name in Tamil is valai tade (bent stick)." To Mr. R. Bruce Foote, I am indebted for the following note on the use of the boomerang in the Madura district. "A very favourite weapon of the Madura country is a kind of curved throwing-stick, having a general likeness to the boomerang of the Australian aborigines. I have in my collection two of these Maravar weapons obtained from near Sivaganga. The larger measures 24 1/8'' along the outer curve, and the chord of the arc 17 5/8''. At the handle end is a rather ovate knob 2 1/4'' long and 1 1/4'' in its maximum thickness. The thinnest and smallest part of the weapon is just beyond the knob, and measures 11/16'' in diameter by 1 1/8'' in width. From that point onwards its width increases very gradually to the distal end, where it measures 2 3/8'' across and is squarely truncated. The lateral diameter is greatest three or four inches before the truncated end, where it measures 1''. My second specimen is a little smaller than the above, and is also rather less curved. Both are made of hard heavy wood, dark reddish brown in colour as seen through the varnish covering the surface. The wood is said to be tamarind root. The workmanship is rather rude. I had an opportunity of seeing these boomerangs in use near Sivaganga in March, 1883. In the morning I came across many parties, small and large, of men and big boys who were out hare-hunting with a few dogs. The parties straggled over the ground, which was sparsely covered with low scrub jungle. And, whenever an unlucky hare started out near to the hunters, it was greeted with a volley of the boomerangs, so strongly and dexterously thrown that poor puss had little chance of escape. I saw several knocked out of time. On making enquiries as to these hunting parties, I was told that they were in observance of a semi-religious duty, in which every Maravar male, not unfitted by age or ill-health, is bound to participate on a particular day in the year. Whether a dexterous Maravar thrower could make his weapon return to him I could not find out. Certainly in none of the throws observed by me was any tendency to a return perceptible. But for simple straight shots these boomerangs answer admirably." The Maravans bear Saivite sectarian marks, but also worship various minor deities, among whom are included Kali, Karuppan, Muthu Karuppan, Periya Karuppan, Mathurai Viran, Aiyanar, and Munuswami.