274 Professor Flower [April 13, 



the Indian Archipelago, conducted tLroiigh many years by M. do 

 Quatrefages, in some cases with the assistance of his colleague 

 M. Hamy, that the facts I am about to put before you have been 

 prominently brought to light, and their significance demonstrated. 



It is well known that the greater part of the large island of New 

 Guinea, and of the cbain of islands extending eastwards and south- 

 wards from it, including the Solomon Islands, the New Hebrides, 

 and New Caledonia, and also the Fijis, are still inhabited mainly by 

 peojile of dark colour, frizzly hair, and many characteristics allying 

 them to the negroes of Africa. These constitute the race to which 

 the term Melanesian is commonly applied in this country, or Oceanic 

 negroes, the " Papouas " of Quatrefages. Their area at one time was 

 more extensive than it is now, and has been greatly encroached upon 

 by the brown, straight-haired Polynesian race with Malay aflinitics, 

 now inhabiting many of the more important islands of the Pacific, 

 and the mingling of which with the more aboriginal Melanesians in 

 various proportions has been a cause, among others, of the diverse 

 aspect of the population on many of the islands in this extensive 

 region. These Papouas, or Melanesians, however, differ greatly from 

 the Andamanese in many easily defined characters, which are, 

 especially, their larger stature, their long, narrow, and high skulls, 

 and their coarser and more negro-like features. Although undoubt- 

 edly allied, w^c cannot look to them as the nearest relations of our 

 little Andamanese. 



When the Spaniards commenced the colonisation of the PJiilip- 

 pines, they met with, in the mountainous region in the interior of the 

 Island of Luzon, besides the prevailing native population, consisting 

 of Tagals of Malay origin, very small people, of black complexion, 

 with the frizzly hair of the African negroes. So struck were they 

 with the resemblance, that they called them "Negritos del Monte" 

 (little Negroes of the mountain). Their local name was Aigtas, or 

 Inagtas, said to signify " black," and from which the word Aeta, 

 generally now ai^j^licd to them, is derived. These people have lately 

 been studied by two French travellers, M. Marclie and Dr. Moutano ; 

 the result of their measurements gives 4 feet 8J inches as the 

 average height of the men, and 4 feet GJ inches the average for the 

 women. In many of their moral characteristics they resemble the 

 Andamanese. The Aetas are faithful to their marriage vows, and 

 have but one wife. The affection of parents for children is very 

 strong, and tlie latter have for their father and mother much love 

 and respect. The marriage ceremony, according to M. Montano, is 

 very remarkable. The aflianced pair climb two flexible trees j^l^ccd 

 near to each other. One of the elders of the tribe bends them towards 

 each other. When their heads touch, the marriage is legally ac- 

 complished. A great fete, with much dancing, concludes the 

 ceremony. 



It was afterwards found that the same race existed in other parts 

 of the archipelago, Panay, Mindanao, &c., and that they entirely 



