quarter. In the two years under consideration, the boys 

 increase 2.01 inches. The girls increase only .71 inch, al- 

 though the range between minimum and maximum height of 

 girls is .81 inch, which is attained in the seventh quarter. It 

 may be seen that, although the height of girls is virtually sta- 

 tionary in the first of these two years, it increases nearly as much 

 as that of the boys in the second year. These figures are in 

 marked contrast to those of Boas, who found for Toronto chil- 

 dren a difference of over 3.46 inches for boys, and of 1.69 

 inches for girls, from the first to the eighth quarters in these 

 two years. 



If we take the figures from year to year, instead of by 

 quarter-years, we find a difference of 1.19 inches for boys 

 between the 15th and 16th years; and for girls a difference of 

 ,40 inch. Bowditch found, among Boston children, increases 

 of 2.42 and 1.16 inches for boys and girls, respectively. In 

 like manner, Boas showed that the Toronto boys increased 

 2.40 inches, and the girls 1.07 inches, between the 15th and 

 16th years. The growth of the Boston and Toronto children 

 in this period is, therefore, about twice that of the New York 

 children. A number of factors may be cited in explanation of 

 this condition: First may be mentioned the difference in the 

 racial composition of the children in the several cities, there 

 being a preponderance of Jewish and Italian children among 

 those covered by the present investigation. Again, the New 

 York children are a selected group, the taller and heavier being 

 generally the first to leave school to apply for work papers. 

 This results in the height at the beginning (age 14) being some- 

 what greater than that of the children who remained in school, 

 and thus reduces the amount of gain in height in the period 

 under observation. We shall meet with like differences when 

 we take up other characteristics of the New York children. 



WEIGHTS 



The weights of these children were taken in ordinary 

 clothing, to the nearest quarter-pound. Boys' jackets were 

 not removed, but outer cloaks were removed. The Depart- 

 ment of Health had no data on the average weight of the 

 children's clothes. Bowditch, however, is authority for the 

 statement that the average weight of the clothes of boys at 

 14 years is 8.09 pounds; of boys at 15 years, 8.08 pounds; 

 of girls at 14 years, 7.54 pounds; and of girls at 15 years, 7.85 



