NEGRITOS, nu-gre'toz (Sp., little negro). The term applied by most modern ethnologists to one of the great ethnic groups into which the pop ulation of the East Indies is divided. Sonic an thropologists recognize a •Negritic stock' consist ing of three groups, Negrito. Papuan. and Melane sian, while others regard the ']ndo-Oecanie Negri tos' as a separate branch of the Homo ,Ethiopicas, distinct from the'Iudo-Oceanic• Negros' from whom they believe that the Papuans and _Melanesians have sprung. It seems best. however, to count the Malays, Indonesians, Negritos. and Papuans as the four ethnie stocks of Malaysia. The term should be used in the restricted sense implied in the principal recent elassifications of mankind in this area. The physical characteristics of the Negritos are: Small stature (great majority under five feet), a brachyeephalic or snblirachy cephalie bead-form. a (lark brown or black skin sometimes somewhat yellowish, the hair woolly (scanty on face and body), a that nose, thickish lips, and other features of physiognomy and body of a negroid character. Many ethnologists as sume that the earliest inhabitants of extreme Southeastern Asia. the Malay Archipelago, and neighboring regions were of this stock, lint evi dence for such a view is lacking. No real proof of their presence in Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, or Formosa has been produced. It is held by sonic, however. that the Negritos once inhabited Timor, Flores, and the islands near, While it has been reported that the Barons of the Arfak Hills in Northwestern New Guinea were Negritos, although this is not certain. The only centres of undoubted Negrito population existing at present are in the Andaman Islands, the ..\lalay Peninsula, and certain of the Philippine Islands, the pure Negritos being certainly repre sented only by the Mim('epics, Sakai. and Aitas. The \lincopicsoft he A lala man 1 slands. who aver age four feet ten inches in height, are taller than the other .Negritos, except sonic of the NIalaccans, who are probably crossed with Malays. The Semangs and Mantras, in the peninsula of Alalac ea, may he regarded as Negritos, while the Milani and the dakhuns of dohore are Sakai _Malay half-breeds, with lighter skin and taller stature. Some authorities, however, regard them
as Negritos. The Semangs (whose own name is Alendi or Alenik of Northern Perak, Kedah. Rahman. 11.anga, and Kelantan are described by Martin. who visited the .Malay Peninsula in 1897. as representing a dark brown uhariehous variety of man, while the Sakai (whose own name is Senoi) of Southeastern Perak and Northwestern Pahang are a brown eym(itrichous variety. Both are distinct alike from the Malayan and the Alongoloid peoples. The Blandas, :\la-meri for Besesi) of Southern Selangor. the Mantra of the territory of Alalacca and Ilembau, and the Jakhmis of .1ohore Iry styles mixed peoples. As to head-form the Semangs are mesoeephatic (tending to doliehocephalie). the purest tinkai are doliehocephalie, and the Besesi braebyce phalic. The hair of the Senmngs is frizzy or thick woolly, while that of the Sakai and of the mixed tribes is for the most part wavy. The Sakai may perhaps be the descendants of the Neolithic population of this portion of Farther 'India. The Aitt as of 1 he Philippines, who number altogether some 10,000, are found in certain parts of the interior of Luzon, Mindoro, Panay. and Negros. and Northeastern AI indanao. The culture status of the Negritos is very primitive, though the arts and industries of the Andaman Island the hest studied niendwrs of the stock, give more evidence of talent and ingenious adaptation to environment than is commonly attributed to them. The strict monogamy of the Sakai and their rather high morality ought also to be noted. The bow and arrow 1 oftcn poisoned) is a char acteri-die Negrito weapon.
.011.011t (,)11:11 rein 2es'. I.es pygaWls ( Park, IRST .1borigincs of the .1 ,darner and.s (London. I ti5 : Clifford, In Court (London. 18971 Stevens, Malerinlien :lir 1c( anti/LS:: rli r Sliinunr nu % der lase! .111ula1r1ru ( Berlin, 1s921; 'tore n1,1 Sul popoli Iiggm iii drill' taper r nlr .vii Florynyy, 1`..179) Nleyor. .1 / brim von n-Typrn 1Mrssdeii, : Blument rit t. Ed/awn-orb dYr n ISIrl) ; Aleyer. Dir nritos 1S191.