594 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Sight and Searing. — Both these senses are very acute, especially 

 the former, which, in the fishermen, is extremely keen, many of these 

 men can see small objects floating on the water at a distance where, 

 even by the aid of a strong glass, most persons would find great 

 difficulty in seeing them at all. 



This description being a general one, little mention has been made 

 of the differences which exist between the people of different parts of 

 the district. It appears to be the general opinion on the mainland, 

 that the inhabitants of North Inishkea are taller than those of the 

 South Island, and, also, that the natives of both islands are fairer 

 than those of the mainland, and personal inspection has corroborated 

 these opinions. The islanders are readily distinguishable from the 

 mainland people, not only by their dress of blue homespun, but also by 

 their fairer hair and complexion, and their different cast of features. 



The men of the district round Portacloy are darker in hair and 

 seem to be of a different type ; many of them are exceedingly fine 

 well-built fellows. 



In no part of the district are the people of small stature, though 

 a large number of them are descendants of dispossessed Ulster people. 

 On the contrary, they appear toi be taller and stouter than the 

 inhabitants of the southern part of the country. A statement,^ 

 originally made by an anonymous writer, has somehow gained 

 currency, and has been repeatedly quoted abroad, noticeably by 

 M. De Quatrefages,^ and by M. Devay,^ that the descendants of the 

 Ulster people driven two centuries ago into Sligo and Mayo, had 

 dwindled into dwarfs of five feet two inches high, prognathous and 

 pot-bellied. 



This most certainly does not apply to any section of the 

 inhabitants of this part of Mayo, if indeed it were ever true of 

 any part of the counties named, which repeated inquiries and personal 

 observation agree in denying most positively. 



The statement is quite unsupported by other writers dealing with 

 this region at the same time. Thus Mr. P. Knight, writing in 1834, 

 says of the people of Erris that " they are generally a good- 

 humoured, good-natured, hospitable, generous race — of middle size — 

 active, intelligent, and, when an opportunity offers of showing it, 

 industrious." C. 0.^ describes the people as tall. 



1 Dublin University Magazine, No. 48, p. 658. 



^L'Unite de I'Espece Humain, ii., 316. 



^ Devay Fr. " Du Danger des Mariages consanguins sons le Rapport Sanitaire." 



* " Sketches in Erris and Tyrawley." 



