MI'CRONE'SIANS. The inhabitants of Mieronesia (q.v.), They undoubtedly to the Malayo-Polynesian rave. although the author ities differ concerning their ethnic purity. The languages of Microm.sia are probably INklane sian, but the natives are extremely mixed, show ing all shades of color and transitional forms be tween the Papuan, Malay, and Polynesian types. The mass differ• in type slightly from the Poly nesians; they are more hairy, are shorter, their head is more elongated, and they possess some ethnic characters apart. They use rope armor. and have weapons of sharks' teeth, special money, and other distinguishing marks. The Ladrone, Pelew, Marshall, Caroline, and Gilbert groups, collectively called Micronesia. would ap pear to have been originally peopled by Papuans from :Melanesia, and to have afterwards received numerous colonists from both Polynesia and Malaysia (the Philippines), besides occasional ne t t le rs from Japan and China. But the extent
of the Papuan element in Micronesia has yet to be determined and has probably been over estimated. The Gilbert. group form the natural transition to Polynesia proper. For information in detail concerning the Micronesians, the follow ing works may be consulted: Kubary, Ethno graphische Beitriige zur Kenntnis des Karolinen Arehipels (Leyden, 1889-05) ; Meinicke. Die In Relit des Stiller Ozeans (Leipzig, 1875) ; Cabeza Pereira, Estudios sobre las Carolinas (Manila. 1895) : Heinsheim, Siidsee Erinnerungen (Ber lin, 1883) ; id., Bcitrag zur Sprache der Mar shall-Inseln (Leipzig, 1880) ; Bastian, Die mik roncsischen Colonien aus ethnologisehen Stand punkten (Berlin, IS99) ; Christian, "On Micro nesian Weapons," in the Journal of the Anthro pological Institute (London) for 1899, and The Caroline Islands (London, 1899) ; Bartolis, Las Carolinas (Barcelona, 1885). See POLYNESIANS.