﻿Laws 
  of 
  Fluctuations 
  731 
  

  

  scale 
  with 
  sugar 
  in 
  beets 
  and 
  sugar-cane, 
  with 
  

   starch 
  in 
  potatoes 
  and 
  in 
  other 
  instances. 
  

   These 
  figures 
  are 
  also 
  found 
  to 
  follow 
  the 
  same 
  

   law. 
  

  

  All 
  qualities 
  which 
  are 
  seen 
  to 
  increase 
  and 
  

   to 
  decrease 
  may 
  be 
  dealt 
  with 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  man- 
  

   ner, 
  if 
  a 
  standard 
  unit 
  for 
  their 
  measure^ 
  

   ment 
  can 
  be 
  fixed. 
  Even 
  the 
  colors 
  of 
  flowers 
  

   may 
  not 
  escape 
  our 
  inquiry. 
  

  

  If 
  we 
  now 
  compare 
  the 
  lines, 
  compiled 
  from 
  

   the 
  most 
  divergent 
  cases, 
  they 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  to 
  

   exhibit 
  the 
  same 
  features 
  in 
  the 
  main. 
  Ordi- 
  

   narily 
  the 
  curve 
  is 
  symmetrical, 
  the 
  line 
  sloping 
  

   down 
  on 
  both 
  sides 
  after 
  the 
  same 
  manner. 
  But 
  

   it 
  is 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  rare 
  that 
  the 
  inclination 
  is 
  

   steep 
  on 
  one 
  side 
  and 
  gradual 
  on 
  the 
  other. 
  This 
  

   is 
  noticeably 
  the 
  case 
  if 
  the 
  observations 
  relate 
  

   to 
  numbers, 
  the 
  average 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  near 
  zero. 
  

   Here 
  of 
  course 
  the 
  allowance 
  for 
  variation 
  is 
  on- 
  

   ly 
  small 
  on 
  one 
  side, 
  while 
  it 
  may 
  increase 
  with- 
  

   out 
  distinct 
  limits 
  on 
  the 
  alternate 
  slope. 
  So 
  it 
  

   is 
  for 
  instance 
  with 
  the 
  numbers 
  of 
  ray-florets 
  

   in 
  the 
  example 
  given 
  on 
  p. 
  729. 
  Such 
  divergent 
  

   cases, 
  however, 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  considered 
  as 
  excep- 
  

   tions 
  to 
  the 
  rule, 
  due 
  to 
  some 
  unknown 
  cause. 
  

  

  Heretofore 
  we 
  have 
  discussed 
  the 
  empirical 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  problem 
  only. 
  For 
  the 
  purpose 
  

   of 
  experimental 
  study 
  of 
  questions 
  of 
  hered- 
  

   ity 
  this 
  is 
  ordinarily 
  quite 
  sufficient. 
  The 
  in- 
  

  

  