EVIDENCES OF EVOLUTION 65 



be known, but questions as to the origin of 

 the single forms of which it is built up or- 

 dinarily remain unanswered.' 



But in spite of obscurities as to origin, the 

 evolution of cultivated plants is still going 

 on before our eyes. Whether we visit the 

 nearest country flower-show, or admire from 

 enchanting distance Mr. Burbank's latest 

 creations the 'primus berry,' the 'phe- 

 nomenal berry,' the 'Bartlett plum,' the 

 spineless cactus, and the rest, or see the 

 Mendelian experimenters positively manipu- 

 lating the inheritances of our cereals, we 

 cannot doubt that we are in the presence of 

 evolution in actual process. 



It is necessary, however, to point out that 

 the results of Mendelian experiments have 

 somewhat modified our view of what man is 

 able to achieve in the way of establishing new 

 breeds. In many cases it seems as if he were 

 only assisting in the ' unpacking ' : of the 

 extremely complex inheritance of the wild 

 type. It may seem that new peculiarities 

 are emerging, but in many cases what is being 

 effected is a process of analysis and of selec- 

 tion. There seems to be no doubt, for 

 instance, that the colour-varieties of the do- 

 mestic rabbit are but analyzed in varying 

 measure and mixture from that beautiful 

 synthesis of hues which we see in the wild 



