﻿172 
  Retrograde 
  Varieties 
  

  

  now 
  the 
  presumed 
  variety 
  sports 
  and 
  runs 
  over 
  

   to 
  the 
  presumed 
  type, 
  the 
  probability 
  of 
  the 
  

   supposed 
  relation 
  is 
  evidently 
  enhanced. 
  But 
  

   it 
  is 
  manifest 
  that 
  the 
  explanation 
  rests 
  upon 
  

   the 
  results 
  of 
  comparative 
  studies, 
  and 
  not 
  

   upon 
  direct 
  observations 
  of 
  the 
  phenomena 
  

   themselves. 
  

  

  The 
  nearer 
  the 
  relations 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  

   types 
  in 
  question, 
  the 
  less 
  exposed 
  to 
  doubt 
  and 
  

   criticism 
  are 
  the 
  conclusions. 
  But 
  the 
  domain 
  

   of 
  atavism 
  is 
  not 
  restricted 
  to 
  the 
  cases 
  de- 
  

   scribed. 
  Quite 
  on 
  the 
  contrary 
  the 
  facts 
  that 
  

   strike 
  us 
  most 
  forcibly 
  as 
  being 
  reversions 
  are 
  

   those 
  that 
  are 
  apt 
  to 
  give 
  us 
  an 
  insight 
  into 
  the 
  

   systematic 
  affinity 
  of 
  a 
  higher 
  degree. 
  We 
  are 
  

   disposed 
  to 
  make 
  use 
  of 
  them 
  in 
  our 
  attempts 
  

   to 
  perfect 
  the 
  natural 
  system 
  and 
  to 
  remould 
  

   it 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  way 
  as 
  to 
  become 
  a 
  pedigree 
  of 
  the 
  

   related 
  groups. 
  Such 
  cases 
  of 
  atavism 
  no 
  

   doubt 
  occur, 
  but 
  the 
  anomalies 
  referred 
  to 
  them 
  

   must 
  be 
  interpreted 
  merely 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  of 
  our 
  

   assumptions 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  relative 
  places 
  in 
  the 
  sys- 
  

   tem 
  to 
  be 
  assigned 
  to 
  the 
  different 
  forms. 
  

  

  Though 
  such 
  instances 
  cannot 
  be 
  considered 
  

   as 
  belonging 
  strictly 
  to 
  the 
  subject 
  we 
  are 
  deal- 
  

   ing 
  with, 
  I 
  think 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  as 
  well 
  to 
  give 
  an 
  ex- 
  

   ample, 
  especially 
  as 
  it 
  affords 
  an 
  occasion 
  for 
  

   referring 
  to 
  the 
  highly 
  important 
  researches 
  of 
  

   Heinricher 
  on 
  the 
  variability 
  and 
  atavistic 
  

  

  