Nature . he Andamans, are the relics of one of the mostarchaic of human stocks. This can only be regarded 586 NA TURE [April 19, 1906 as a preliminary study, but, so far as it goes, it hasconsiderable value and interest. The Aeta of Zam-bales are of a dark chocolate-brown colour, and whenpure their hair is woolly; the men have an averageheight of 5 feet 2 inches ; they are broad-headed, thecephalic index of the men averaging 82 and that ofthe females 86; their noses are exceedingly broad, butthey have practically no prognathism. The Negritosstudied by the author are not in the most primitiveco
Nature . he Andamans, are the relics of one of the mostarchaic of human stocks. This can only be regarded 586 NA TURE [April 19, 1906 as a preliminary study, but, so far as it goes, it hasconsiderable value and interest. The Aeta of Zam-bales are of a dark chocolate-brown colour, and whenpure their hair is woolly; the men have an averageheight of 5 feet 2 inches ; they are broad-headed, thecephalic index of the men averaging 82 and that ofthe females 86; their noses are exceedingly broad, butthey have practically no prognathism. The Negritosstudied by the author are not in the most primitivecondition, as they have ceased to be purely nomadichunters, and have taken to a little agriculture. It isto be hoped that Mr. Reed, or some other competentperson, will pay especial attention to the real natureof the scattered families that wander from oneplace to another; to discover this it will be necessaryto learn the names and relationships of every in-dividual of each community, and this should be done. for several communities, then we shall learn whetherthey are clans with mother-right or families withfather-right. It is important to map out the huntinggrounds, and to record whether they consist ofpersonal property. Despite the similarity of name, there is no reasonto connect the Battak of Palawan with those ofSumatra. They are a wild, hunting folk, who culti-vate one or two tuberous plants, and in a few placesplant small fields of rice. They gather gums, whichthey carry to the coast and trade for rice, beads, & wear a scanty garment of bark cloth. They area mixed Negrito people, and appear to be analogousto the Sakai of the Malay Peninsuk. The presentpaper is only a slight sketch ; doubtless these interest-ing people will be carefully studied in the future. NO. I903, VOL. -J7,] They, like the Negritos of Zambales and elsewhere,are worth special investigation, as they represent thefirst stage of the passage from a hunting to an agri-cultural mode of life. No people in
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