Curgenven, J.

1. The main question which this appeal raises is whether the plaintiff or the first defendant is the nearest reversionary heir to the estate of one Venkatakrishna Pillai who died on the 24th October, 1899 leaving considerable property in the Tanjore District. The following genealogical table illustrates the rival claims:

Kuttikalivaraya | _________________________________________ | | Venkatachala Chandrasekhara | | | ________________________ | | | Chinnayya Tirumalairaya Ramanuja | | | Venkataranga Tiruvengada Venkatachala | | | Venkatachala Gopalasami Tirunarayana | (Adopted) (1st Deft.) Alamelu Achi | ___________________________________ | | | Venkatakrishna Gopalaswami Chellam | Ramakrishna (Plaintiff).

2. It will be seen that the plaintiff, Ramakrishna Pillai, is the son of Venkatakrishnas sister, Chellam, while the first defendant claims to be the adopted son of one Venkatachala Pillai shown as an agnate belonging to another branch of the family. The left and right hand branches are referred to in the evidence as the Kannankulam and Koppayam branches respectively. The fact of this adoption is disputed and it is further disputed that the adoptive father was re