Stature of the Men of Roxburgh and Selkirk. 319 



as such) the average of 1162 men is only 5 feet 7'66 inches, 

 or about 1^ inch less. A few words may be permitted here 

 as to whether this— 5 feet 7f inches — may be taken as a 

 fairly accurate measurement of the full grown men in those 

 towns. As already indicated, it is believed to be accurate 

 as regards the Volunteers. But it is to be noted that there 

 was a certain number — a residuum, so to speak — of the male 

 population who, from deficient stature, amongst other reasons, 

 fell below the standard required for admission into the 

 Volunteer Corps. In the Border Rifles it had been the 

 practice throughout, up till 1890, to be, to say the least, a 

 good deal more particular on this point than in Volunteer 

 Corps in general. The War Ofiice minimum standard had 

 never been accepted ; and latterly, although no such thing 

 is required (as it oug^ht to be) in the Volunteer Force 

 generally, a medical examination, in a modified form, was 

 ordered before enrolment. In these ways some, at any rate, 

 of what may be called inferior specimens of the human race, 

 were excluded, whose dimensions would have gone to detract 

 from the general average. Against this, however, might be 

 set the fact that — from whatever cause — the young men of 

 the "well-to-do" classes hold very much aloof from the 

 Volunteer Force, and their stature and physique would 

 undoubtedly be found above the average. All things con- 

 sidered, and looking to the large number of measurements 

 taken, it seems to be a legitimate conclusion that an average 

 height of at least 5 feet 7^ inches may fairly be assigned 

 to the full grown male inhabitants of the Border towns at 

 the present day. It will be noticed that this is the average 

 height given by Dr Beddoe for the whole of Scotland, and 

 by Mr Tate for the whole of Northumberland ; while the 

 average arrived at for the whole 1641 Border Riflemen (say 

 5 feet 8 inches) is the same as that which is assigned by 

 Mr Tate to ^^ North Northumbrians." 



With regard to the superior height shown by the country 

 corps, it is quite in accordance with what might be expected. 

 Moreover, there is little or no doubt that if the measurement 

 of the farmers, ploughmen, and shepherds of the rural 

 parishes and pastoral valleys of Roxburgh and Selkirk shires 

 were taken, they would show a still higher average stature 

 than that of the Melrose Volunteers, perhaps by another inch 



