Devadoss, J.

1. The plaintiffs sue for a declaration that the sale of the plaint property in favour of defendants 1 and 2 is not binding on them as they are the reversioners of one Murugesa Mudali. They claim to he the grandsons of Muthusami Mudali, the divided brother of Kachi Muniappa Mudali, whose great-grandson was the deceased Murugesa Mudali. The District Munsif held that Muthusami Mudali and Kachi Muniappa Mudali being the sons of a prostitute there was no heritable blood between them and the plaintiffs had no reversionary right to the estate of Murugesa Mudali and dismissed the suit. The Subordinate Judge has reversed the decree of the District Munsif holding that the plaintiffs are reversionary heirs to Murugesa Mudali and has remanded the suit for disposal on the merits. Defendants 1 and 2 have preferred this appeal.

2. Muthuswami Mudali and Kachi Muniappa Mudali were the? sons of a dancing woman called Thanji Ammal. It is admitted that the plaintiffs are the legitimate grandsons of Muthuswami Mudali and that Murugesa Mudali was the legitimate great grandson of Kachi Muniappa Mudali. The question for decision is, does the rule of collateral succession obtain among t