THEIR HEIGHT, FORM, AND STRENGTH. 145 



to an average height of five feet two inches, and 

 become prognathous, pot-bellied, and utterly de- 

 generate. As before staited, the average stature of 

 the fifty men whom I had measured was 1,721 

 mm., or barely under 5 ft. 8 in. ; no selection what- 

 ever was practised beyond excluding some ungrown 

 young lads ; and this average is perhaps a little 

 below the true figure, as it was said by several of the 

 people that most of the best grown men were away 

 working as migratory labourers in England. Only 

 three men whose height was less than five feet three 

 and a half inches were met with, and they seemed 

 to be exceptional cases. Only one dwarf is known 

 in the district." 



" Inisturk and Clare Island, Co. Mayo. 56 men 

 were on an average 5 feet 7J inches ; of head large 

 and well formed, long face, nose straight or sinuous, 

 sometimes retrousse, chin square and prominent, 

 not prognathous ; complexion fair and ruddy ; eyes 

 blue and light grey. In 112 men and women there 

 was no red hair, 12-50 per cent, fair hair, 40-84 

 brown, 34-76 dark hair, 9-46 per cent, black." 



In his Ethnography of (the islands of) Garumna 

 and Leitirmullen, in the County Galway, but 

 opposite Mayo, Dr. Browne says they contain 

 " probably the poorest and the most primitive 

 population in Ireland," The people are well 



