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* NAIKS. 224 NALA. glomerate of different tastes and tribes, and in many cases contrast sharply with the IJravidian-; by their fine type, their light eoniplexion. and their thin and prominent nose. They seem to liave some linguistic and somatological atlinitics with the Indo-Aryans. They are probably a mixed race of Aryans and Jlalayalas. By all writers they are described as a tall people, i)repossessing in their physical characteristics and their gen- eral bearing, and gracious in manner. Many of the women are quite pretty. The history of the Nairs begins with the invasion of the ancient Hindus and the establishment of a Brahman aristoeraey — a conflict between these privileged classes and the democratic masses ended in vic- tory for the latter and laid the foundations of the prosperity of the Nairs in the thirteenth cen- turj-. Islam of a sort is in vogue, together with the older Hinduism. Through all these changes the peculiar marriage system, which has made the Nairs of special interest to ethnologists, has remained unchanged. This system, often called 'the Nair family,' is polyandry (often adclphic) with matriarchal joint family, though polyandry and polygamj" may exist side by side or be inex- tricably mixed. The wealtliy tend to be ]V)y- gamous, the poor polyandrous. Consult : E. S. Schmidt, '"Die Nairs," in Globus, vol. Ixviii. ( Brunswick, ) 895 ) ; Fawcett, ''Nayars of Mala- bar," in Bulletin of the ^[a4ras Government ilii- seum, vol. iii. (Madras, 1901). NAISSANT, na'sant (Fr., being born). A term ai)plicd in heraldic blazon to an animal de- picted as coming forth out of the middle — not, like issuant, out of the boundary line — of an ordinary. See Heraldry. NA'JA (from Hind, naff, Skt. naga, snake). A genus of elapine venomous serpents of the trop- ical parts of the Old World, which includes the cobras. The typical species is the common hooded cobra IS'aja lia-je) of Africa, called 'asp' in the north and 'spy-slange' or spitting- snake among the Dutch of South Africa. Other species are the cobra di cajtello and hamadryad. Sec C'0BR.; Hamadryad; Pboteroglypha. NAJAC, na'zhak', Emile, Count de (1828- 891. A I'rench dramatic author, born at Lorient ( JIorl)ihan). Except for a short time spent in a Government position, be gave himself entirely to the writing of farces, texts for operas, and vaude- villes, sometimes in collaboration, and sometimes alone. Among these are: Vn mnri rn JoO (1853) ; La fille de trentc (ins (18.19, with Scribe); Le capifaine Bitterlin (with About, ISfiO) ; Vn ma- rinffe de Paris (with About, 18G1): Xna ffens (with About, 18011); lii'hc (with llennequin. 1877) ; ounou (with Hennequin, 1879) ; Divor- (ons (with Sardou. 1880) ; and Le fiacre 111 (with Millaud, 1880). NAKAMTJRA MASANOWO, nii'ka-mml'rii mii'sano'wi'i ( IHJ.i-?). . .lapanese scholar, horn in Yedo. He went to England in ISOO and re- mained Ihere for tw'o years, returning home on the outbreak of the Revolution. Thenceforth until his death he labored perspveringly in the interest of modern education. His schools and translations exerted wide influence, and his ser- vices were recognized by posthumous honors con- ferred by the Emperor. NAKED BAT. A large ^ralayan, long-tailed, rniballonurine bat {Chiromeirs tnrquntus), re- markable in having the skin entirely hairless except for a fringe of liairs about the neck. It has a projecting, pig-like snout and a thick tail. It inhabits the forests of Java, Sumatra, and Borneo, where it appears only at night. Its most curious feature is the presence of a pouch or pocket of skin on each side of the body under the arms, which is present in both .se.es, and contains the mamnue. In this ))ouch the young are carried while suckling. Consult: Dobson, Catalogue of Cheiroptera in the British Museum (London. 1878) ; Horsfield, Zoological Researches in Java (London. 1828). See Plate of Bats. NAKHITCHEVAN, n-l'ivc-che-viin'. A f<n-- mer town in the Unvernmont of Ekaterinoslav, Russia, situated on a hill on the right bank of the Don, 21/-. miles from Rostov-on-t he-Don, with which it is now incorporated. It has manufac- tures of silk, woolen, and silver goods, and has a considerable trade in jewelry and precious stones with Constantinople, Turkestan. Circassia, and Astrakhan. The town was founded by Armc-, nians from the Crimea in 1779, and is the see of the Russian Greek-Armenian Patriarch. Popula- tion, in 1897, 29,312, mostly Armenians. NAKONG (African name). One of the 'har- nessed' antelopes of South-Central and East Africa, called also 'Spekc's antelope,' 'sititunga,' and Tragclaphus Spekei. It is peculiar for its perfectly uniform grayish color when mature. It formerly gathered in herds, atid was one of the most "highly prized of the smaller species. See Plate of Gazelles and Small AiNTELOi'ES. NAKSHATRA, nak-shii'tra (Skt. nakmtra, star, luminary; of doubtful etymology). A San- skrit term used in the Vedic period in the sense of star. At a later time it was applied to the asterisms lying in the moon's path, or to the mansions in which the moon was supposed to rest in its path. The number of these asterisms was reckoned originally at 27, later at 28; and mythology transformed them into the daughters of Daksha, who became the wives of the moon. The French astronomer liiot endeavored to show that the Hindu system of the Xakshatras was derived from the Chinese sicn : but this theory won little favor. The arguments later advanced warmly favored the Indian origin of the sys- tem of the Nakshatras. Weber sought for Baby- lonian inlluence to explain the Xakshatras and some sup|)ort has been given to this view. Con- sult Tliiliaut, "Astronomic. Astrologie tmd Mathe- matik," in Biihler, (Irundriss dcr intlo-arischen Philologie (Slrassburg. 1899). NAKSKOV, niiks'kftv. A town of Denmark, situated on a fiord of the west coast of the island of Laaland (Map: Denmark, K 4). It is the terminus of the l.aalaml Railroad, and has a harbor with considerable shipping and an active trade in grain. Population, in 1901. 8317. NALA, nii'lA. A legendary king of ancient India whose domain was Nishadha, apiiareiitly a district between the modern Oudh and Bcrar. The story of his marriage with Damayanti. the daughter of King Bhima of 'i<larbha (modern Berar). together with the events which fol- lowed in consequence of his passion for gam- bling, the loss of his kingdom, his desertion of wife an<l children, the final reunion with them, and the restoration of his fortunes, forms one of the most romantic episodes of the Mahiihhi-