ELLICE (LAGOON) ISLANDS, an archipelago of the Pacific ocean, lying between 5° and 11° S. and about 178° E., nearly midway between Fiji and Gilbert. It was annexed by Britain in 1892, and has been since Jan. 1916 part of the Gilbert and Ellice Isles colony. It comprises a large number of low coral islands and atolls, in nine clusters extending over a distance of about 400 m. from north-west to south-east. Their total area is 14 sq.m. and the population is a little over 3,000. The chief groups are Funafuti or Ellice, Nukulailai or Mitchell, Nurakita or Sophia, Nukufetau, Nui or Egg, Hudson and Niutao or Lynx. Nearly all the natives are Christians, Protestant missions having been long established in several of the islands. Those of Nui speak the language of the Gilbert islanders, and have a tradition that they came some generations ago from that group. All the others are of Samoan speech, and their tradition that they came 3o generations back from Samoa is supported by recent research. The islands have a plentiful rainfall and uniformly high tempera tures. The coconut and pandanus are staple foods, and much copra is exported. "Babai" (a taro) is grown in increasing quan tities and many fruits grow. Beche-de-mer is plentiful in the surrounding seas. Borings and soundings taken at Funafuti in 1897 indicate almost beyond doubt that the whole of this Poly nesian region is an area of comparatively recent subsidence.