﻿Stability 
  and 
  Real 
  Atavism 
  167 
  

  

  leaves 
  afford 
  an 
  instance 
  of 
  correlated 
  variabil- 
  

   ity 
  since 
  in 
  the 
  species 
  the 
  red 
  color 
  shows 
  it- 
  

   self 
  clearly 
  mixed 
  with 
  the 
  green, 
  while 
  in 
  the 
  

   variety 
  this 
  tinge 
  is 
  wholly 
  wanting. 
  

  

  Occasionally 
  this 
  white-flowered 
  currant 
  re- 
  

   verts 
  back 
  to 
  the 
  original 
  red 
  type 
  and 
  the 
  re- 
  

   version 
  takes 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  bud. 
  One 
  or 
  two 
  

   buds 
  on 
  a 
  shrub 
  bearing 
  perhaps 
  a 
  thousand 
  

   bunches 
  of 
  white 
  flowers 
  produce 
  twigs 
  and 
  

   leaves 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  red 
  pigment 
  is 
  noticeable 
  

   and 
  the 
  flowers 
  of 
  which 
  become 
  brightly 
  col- 
  

   ored. 
  If 
  such 
  a 
  twig 
  is 
  left 
  on 
  the 
  shrub, 
  it 
  may 
  

   grow 
  further, 
  ramify 
  and 
  evolve 
  into 
  a 
  larger 
  

   group 
  of 
  branches. 
  All 
  of 
  them 
  keep 
  true 
  to 
  

   the 
  old 
  type. 
  Once 
  reverted, 
  the 
  branches 
  re- 
  

   main 
  forever 
  atavistic. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  curious 
  

   sight, 
  these 
  small 
  groups 
  of 
  red 
  branches 
  among 
  

   the 
  many 
  white 
  ones. 
  And 
  for 
  this 
  reason 
  at- 
  

   tention 
  is 
  often 
  called 
  to 
  it, 
  and 
  more 
  than 
  once 
  

   I 
  myself 
  have 
  had 
  the 
  opportunity 
  of 
  noting 
  its 
  

   peculiarities. 
  It 
  seems 
  quite 
  certain 
  that 
  by 
  

   planting 
  such 
  shrubs 
  in 
  a 
  garden, 
  we 
  may 
  rely 
  

   upon 
  seeing 
  sooner 
  or 
  later 
  some 
  new 
  buds 
  re- 
  

   verting 
  to 
  the 
  prototype. 
  

  

  Very 
  little 
  attention 
  seems 
  hitherto 
  to 
  have 
  

   been 
  given 
  to 
  this 
  curious 
  phenomenon, 
  though 
  

   in 
  many 
  respects 
  it 
  deserves 
  a 
  closer 
  investiga- 
  

   tion. 
  The 
  variety 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  originated 
  

   from 
  seed 
  in 
  Scotland, 
  many 
  years 
  ago, 
  and 
  

  

  