﻿Polycephalic 
  Poppies 
  391 
  

  

  most 
  favorable, 
  not 
  only 
  from 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  

   their 
  own 
  life 
  in 
  the 
  field, 
  but 
  also 
  during 
  their 
  

   embryonic 
  stages, 
  and 
  even 
  during 
  the 
  prepara- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  these 
  latter 
  in 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  their 
  parents 
  

   and 
  perhaps 
  even 
  their 
  grandparents. 
  Selec- 
  

   tion 
  then, 
  would 
  only 
  be 
  the 
  choice 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  

   nourished 
  individuals. 
  

  

  In 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  foregoing 
  arguments 
  

   I 
  have 
  tried 
  to 
  separate 
  the 
  choicest 
  of 
  the 
  pop- 
  

   pies 
  with 
  the 
  largest 
  crown 
  of 
  pistilloid 
  stamens, 
  

   from 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  vigorous 
  individuals. 
  As 
  

   we 
  have 
  already 
  seen, 
  these 
  two 
  attributes 
  are 
  

   as 
  a 
  rule 
  proportional 
  to 
  one 
  another. 
  Excep- 
  

   tions 
  occur, 
  but 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  explained 
  by 
  some 
  

   later 
  changes 
  in 
  the 
  external 
  circumstances, 
  as 
  

   I 
  have 
  also 
  pointed 
  out. 
  As 
  a 
  rule, 
  these 
  ex- 
  

   ceptions 
  are 
  large 
  fruits 
  with 
  comparatively 
  too 
  

   few 
  converted 
  stamens; 
  they 
  are 
  exactly 
  the 
  

   contrary 
  from 
  what 
  is 
  required 
  for 
  a 
  selection. 
  

   Or 
  plants, 
  which 
  from 
  the 
  beginning 
  were 
  

   robust, 
  may 
  have 
  become 
  crowded 
  together 
  by 
  

   further 
  growth, 
  and 
  for 
  these 
  reasons 
  become 
  

   weaker 
  than 
  their 
  congeners, 
  though 
  retaining 
  

   the 
  full 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  staminodal 
  crown, 
  

   which 
  was 
  fixed 
  during 
  the 
  sensitive 
  period 
  and 
  

   before 
  the 
  crowding. 
  I 
  have 
  searched 
  my 
  beds 
  

   yearly 
  for 
  several 
  years 
  in 
  vain 
  to 
  find 
  individ- 
  

   uals 
  which 
  might 
  recommend 
  themselves 
  for 
  se- 
  

   lection 
  without 
  having 
  the 
  stamp 
  of 
  permanent, 
  

  

  