184 FISHBERG 



On Table VI is shown the individual variations of the stature 

 of the Jews in New^ York City, according to their nativity. It 

 will be observed that there are noteworthy differences in the 

 stature of each group of Jews. A comparsion of these figures 

 with measurements obtained in Eastern Europe, shows that the 

 immigrants are taller than the Jews in their native countries. 

 Thus, the average stature of the Jews in Poland, was found by 

 Snigireff and Elkind to be i6i cm. while those who left Poland 

 and emigrated to the United States ^re found to be 163.4 cm. 

 in height. In Lithuania and White-Russia Snigireff, Talko- 

 Hryncewicz and Yakowenko found the average height of the 

 Jews about 162 cm., and immigrants from this region of Russia 

 are seen to be 164.2 cm. on the average. In South Russia 

 Snigireff and Weissenberg measurements show that the Jews 

 are over 164 cm. and the immigrants from this country are 

 found to average 165.7 ^"^- ^^^ height. The same is true of the 

 Jews from Hungary, who in their native land were found to be 

 163.3 ^^^- (Scheiber), while those in New York are 2.4 cm. 

 taller, averaging 165.7 <^""^- The only exception are the Jews 

 from Galicia, who were found by Majer and Kopernicki to be 

 162.3 ^^- i^"^ their native land, while in New York they are of 

 the same height. As will be seen later this exceptional phenom- 

 enon is not confined to stature; "selection by immigration" 

 is also negative among these Jews as regards their headform. 

 But in all the other groups it appears that the immigrants are 

 taller than those left at home. 



This phenomenon appears in a more striking manner when 

 we compare the immigrants with their correligionists at home 

 by grouping the figures obtained by measurement in four groups 

 of stature, short, below the average, above the average and tall. 

 For comparison, the literature of the anthropology of the Jews 

 in Eastern Europe has been utilized, and the figures are pre- 

 sented in table VII. 



From this table (VII) it is seen that the proportion of short 

 persons is larger among the Jew^s in their nativ^e lands than 

 among those who emigrated to the United States. 29 percent 

 of the Jews in Little-Russia are less than 160 cm. in height, and 



