(E) Analysis of Statistical Tables.-A belief appears to prevail that the people of Inishturk are darker haired and taller than the people of Clare Island, and the observations taken in this survey seem to indicate the correctness of this opinion. The differences are shown in the following table:

From this table it will be seen that the Inishturk men are not only taller, but they have also a longer head, as shown by the lower cephalic index. The proportions borne to the stature by hands and forearms being the same in both, and yet the span-stretch in the mean of Inishturk being greater than that of the Clare Islanders, seems to indicate either that the upper arms are longer, or, what seems more likely, from the appearance of the men, that they are broader across the shoulders. Five out of the nine instances of Darwinian tubercle observed were in Inishturk men.

3. VITAL STATISTICS (GENERAL AND ECONOMIC).

(A) Population. The population of these islands, like that of all the others on the west coast, and indeed like that of Ireland in general, is steadily decreasing. The cause of this decrease has been the usual one, emigration. The population of the two islands was, in 1891, 702. In 1831 it was 1616.

Between the years 1851 and 1871 the population of Clare Island had decreased from 745 to 494, and that of Inishturk from 202 to 127. Since then the population of Clare Island has fluctuated,

varying between 621 and 557, while that of Inishturk has increased slightly from 127 to 145.

The density of population is thus seen to be about 81 to the square mile.

The distribution of population, inhabited houses, out-buildings, and farm-steadings in 1891 was as follows::

From this table it will be seen that the males exceed the females

by 58.

(B) Acreage and Rental.-The total area of Clare Island is 3959 acres, and that of Inishturk is 1620 acres. The Poor Law valuation of Clare Island is £507 188., and that of Inishturk is £106 28.

Three-quarters of Clare Island and a large part of Inishturk are commonage and mountain grazing.

The rental of Clare Island before it passed into the hands of the Congested Districts Board is said to have been about £580. The holdings were small and badly fenced, as stated in another section. It is hard to state the size of the average farm, the system of holding

in co-partnership (about as bad a mode as the mind of man could devise), making it hard to say how much each man held, but the average size of the cultivated land on each holding was probably about 4 to 4 acres.

The arable land has now been divided up into definite holdings, fenced, and sold to the people by the Congested Districts Board.

(c.) Language and Illiteracy.—I regret to be unable to record the number of Irish-speaking persons in the population; they are all practically bilingual, and do not, they say themselves, speak Irish well now. It was noticeable during this visit that the people were not observed speaking Irish among themselves, the way they did in Inishbofin and Inishark and other places. Several of the older inhabitants informed me that they all knew Irish, but spoke it so badly that they always felt ashamed in speaking it to the people from Achill. The younger generation growing up hardly knows more than a few words and phrases. It is to be regretted that the census returns only give the figures as to Irish-speaking peoples by baronies.

Illiteracy. The return for this is given by parishes. In the parish of Kilgeever, which includes both these islands, there were in 1891 4847 persons, of whom 1413, or 29.2 per cent., were illiterate.

The rate of illiteracy on the islands is not high, as most of the men met with were able to read and write.

There are two National schools on Clare Island, and one in Inishturk.

(D.) Health. It was found to be very difficult to obtain reliable information on this part of the subject, but there was universal agreement among my informants that the people on the whole are very strong and healthy, and that the diseases from which they suffer are mainly those due to their mode of life and occupations, their food, and most of all to the unsanitary condition of their dwellings, described in another section.

Consanguineous Marriages seem to be of very frequent occurrence on both islands, as might be expected in an insular population; but

beyond the family likeness or fixation of type observable among the people, there seems to be little or no perceptible result. The inhabitants of Clare Island frequently intermarry with those of Inishturk, but unions with people from Achill seem to be of rare occurrence.

Diseases. As before observed, considerable difficulty was experienced in obtaining reliable information on the prevailing complaints; but the following, based partly on personal observation, partly on information received from trustworthy sources, is believed to be correct so far as it goes:

Insanity. Two cases known within the past few years (the exact period could not be ascertained).

Idiocy and Imbecility.-None.

Epilepsy is not common, but two cases are known to exist, both

mild.

Deaf-mutism.-There are no deaf-mutes on either island, nor could I find that there ever had been any within the memory of any of the inhabitants.

Congenital Blindness and Malformations.-There are no cases of congenital malformations or blindness on either of the islands.

Fevers are stated to be of common occurrence, though not so much so as formerly. Typhus and enteric fever are the most common visitants. With new and improved habitations for the people these scourges ought in future to be of much less frequent occurrence.

Phthisis and "Struma" are said to be unknown on the islands; they certainly are not common.

Bronchitis and Pneumonia are not very common.

Rheumatism, especially lumbago, is one of the most common complaints. A man gathering seaweed or otherwise wet through will simply dry himself before the fire, or let the soaked garments remain on him as they are. Acute rheumatism is said to be unknown here, as on several of the islands visited in other surveys.

Dietetic Diseases.-As might be expected from the nature of the dietary, various forms of dyspepsia are commonly met with. The constant use of very strong tea at most meals is blamed by the older people for much of this, and, no doubt, with considerable justice. As fish forms so large a portion of the daily food, ento-parasites, as might be expected, are a common cause of complaint.

"Gravel" is said to be a very common affection.

Local Affections are few, and not very serious. Skin diseases are the most common of these; those most often suffered from are seaboils, eczema, acne, and scabies.

Accidents, due to the nature of the occupations pursued by the people, are, as might be expected, pretty numerous, but are seldom very serious.

(E.) Longevity.-A good proportion of the inhabitants of these islands seem to attain to a considerable age. There are several very old people on Clare Island, and at the time of my visit there was a man of 100 years of age living in Inishturk. He was very active for so old a man, and in full possession of his faculties.

4. Psychology. This is perhaps the most difficult part of the subject to treat in a report such as this. A stranger and a visitor to the islands can only get a very slight glimpse of the people's character, and naturally the best side is the one which is most likely to be shown him. For other things he has to depend on local informants, and local prejudices are apt to influence these; so the recorder has to sift and weigh carefully before accepting all he hears.

To the casual visitor the people are decidedly attractive. Like all dwellers in out-of-the-way places, they are somewhat shy of and suspicious of strangers at first; but after the crust is broken they are kind, obliging, and communicative. With each other they are rather social, and given to joking and laughing, and they seem to have a rather keen sense of the ludicrous.

They are very excitable, and said to be somewhat quarrelsome at times. The island used formerly have rather a name for outrages, but none of these seem to have been very serious, and they were most likely largely the outcome of this excitable disposition, and to the nature of the social surroundings of the time. They are decidedly talkative, especially among themselves. Drunkenness may be said to be unknown. They are very kindly to one another in times of trouble or distress.

The charge of laziness has been brought against them, and with some degree of justification; but the manner in which they worked when organised by the Congested Districts Board, and when they had some real inducement to do so, leads one to think that they did not work on account of having no real interest in doing so.

5. Folk-names.-The following list, kindly supplied to me by Sergeant M'Golderick, R.I.C., comprises all the surnames now to be met with on the islands except those of the police and lighthousekeepers.