﻿Monstrosities 
  427 
  

  

  yellowish, 
  with 
  only 
  scarcely 
  perceptible 
  traces 
  

   of 
  green 
  along 
  the 
  veins. 
  Some 
  are 
  very 
  old 
  

   cultivated 
  varieties, 
  as 
  the 
  wintercress, 
  or 
  Bar- 
  

   bar 
  ea 
  vulgar 
  is. 
  They 
  continuously 
  sport 
  into 
  

   green, 
  or 
  return 
  from 
  this 
  normal 
  color, 
  both 
  by 
  

   seeds 
  and 
  by 
  buds. 
  Sports 
  of 
  this 
  kind 
  are 
  

   very 
  often 
  seen 
  on 
  shrubs 
  or 
  low 
  trees, 
  and 
  

   they 
  may 
  remain 
  there 
  and 
  develop 
  during 
  a 
  

   long 
  series 
  of 
  years. 
  Bud-sports 
  of 
  variegated 
  

   holly, 
  elms, 
  chestnuts, 
  beeches 
  and 
  others 
  might 
  

   be 
  cited. 
  One-sided 
  variegation 
  on 
  leaves 
  or 
  

   twigs 
  with 
  the 
  opposite 
  side 
  wholly 
  green 
  are 
  

   by 
  no 
  means 
  rare. 
  It 
  is 
  very 
  curious 
  to 
  note 
  

   that 
  variegation 
  is 
  perhaps 
  the 
  most 
  universally 
  

   known 
  anomaly, 
  while 
  its 
  hereditary 
  tendencies 
  

   are 
  least 
  known. 
  

  

  Cristate 
  and 
  plumose 
  ferns 
  are 
  another 
  in- 
  

   stance. 
  Half 
  races 
  or 
  rare 
  accidental 
  cleavages 
  

   seem 
  to 
  be 
  as 
  common 
  with 
  ferns 
  as 
  cultivated 
  

   double 
  races, 
  which 
  are 
  very 
  rich 
  in 
  beautiful 
  

   crests. 
  But 
  much 
  depends 
  on 
  cultivation. 
  It 
  

   seems 
  that 
  the 
  spores 
  of 
  crested 
  leaves 
  are 
  more 
  

   apt 
  to 
  reproduce 
  the 
  variety 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  nor- 
  

   mal 
  leaves, 
  or 
  even 
  of 
  normal 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  

   leaves. 
  But 
  the 
  experiments 
  on 
  which 
  

   this 
  assertion 
  is 
  made 
  are 
  old 
  and 
  should 
  

   be 
  repeated. 
  Other 
  cases 
  of 
  cleft 
  leaves 
  should 
  

   also 
  be 
  tested. 
  Ascidia 
  are 
  far 
  more 
  common 
  

   than 
  is 
  usually 
  believed. 
  Bare 
  instances 
  point 
  

  

  