GROWTH OF SEXES COMPARED

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 10 March 1934, Page 11

GROWTH OF SEXES COMPARED

fTYHIS is a story which should give us "*■ better understanding of the scientists whose genius lies in an infinite capacity for taking paiins (states the “iDaily Mail”. The iMadical Research Council issued recently a, report of about 100 pages, entitled “A Study of Growth and Development,” by one of its research workers, (Miss R. tM. Fleming. Its object is a close study of the rate of growth and development of characteristics in boys and girrls, and the preface tells ns that Miss Fleming began this inquiry in 1919. It continued for fourteen years. During this period Miss (Fleming paid yearly visits to a number of different’ schools, measuring tne same children time and time again, patiently collecting statistics that formed the basis of this report. 'A specimen chart- at the end shows that there were on the average thirty different measurements and particulars to be entered concerning every individual at each examination. Miss Fleming conducted altogether nearly 14,300 such examinations.

Some 435,000 different figures and items of information were thus obtained, and the groat time arrived

Boys Have Bigger Heads Than Girls

when, with the help of the council’s statistical staff, the results could be analysed into sixty tables and graphs, •Hero are some of Miss Fleming’s conclusions: —

The sexes are equal in height up to eleven years of age. 'Girls are taller than boys between eleven and fourteen; afterwards boys become steadily taller, attaining an average of 4.6'm more than girls at eighteen. Girls as a rule are darker than boys, but red hair is found more often among boys than girls. Boys have on the average bigger heads at all ages than girls. Miss Fleming also asked her examinees a number of questions, .including inquiries into their spare time hobbies and occupations. The result, she reports, proves that boys have a much wider range of interests than girls, who were notably deficient in hobbies.

One boy at least said that “following political and financial news” was his favourite spare-time occupation, and one girl gave “ oig-game hunting” as her favourite pastime. We shall all hope that Miss Fleming was able to arrange for these two to meet.