﻿Taxonomic 
  Anomalies 
  683 
  

  

  an 
  explanation 
  of 
  this 
  case. 
  It 
  is 
  simply 
  im- 
  

   possible 
  to 
  imagine 
  the 
  causes 
  that 
  might 
  have 
  

   produced 
  such 
  a 
  character. 
  The 
  only 
  way 
  out 
  

   of 
  this 
  difficulty 
  is 
  to 
  assume 
  that 
  it 
  has 
  arisen 
  

   at 
  once, 
  in 
  its 
  present 
  apparently 
  differentiated 
  

   and 
  very 
  variable 
  condition, 
  and 
  that, 
  being 
  

   quite 
  uninjurious 
  and 
  since 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  decrease 
  

   the 
  fertility 
  of 
  the 
  race, 
  it 
  has 
  never 
  been 
  

   subjected 
  to 
  natural 
  selection, 
  and 
  so 
  has 
  saved 
  

   itself 
  from 
  destruction. 
  

  

  But 
  if 
  we 
  once 
  grant 
  the 
  probability 
  of 
  the 
  

   origin 
  of 
  the 
  ' 
  ' 
  Nepaul-barley 
  ' 
  by 
  a 
  sudden 
  mu- 
  

   tation, 
  we 
  obviously 
  must 
  assume 
  the 
  same 
  in 
  

   the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  Helwingia 
  and 
  other 
  normal 
  in- 
  

   stances. 
  In 
  this 
  way 
  we 
  gain 
  a 
  further 
  support 
  

   for 
  our 
  assertion, 
  that 
  even 
  the 
  strangest 
  

   specific 
  characters 
  may 
  have 
  arisen 
  suddenly. 
  

  

  After 
  having 
  detailed 
  at 
  some 
  length 
  those 
  

   proofs 
  which 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  most 
  striking, 
  and 
  

   which 
  had 
  not 
  been 
  previously 
  described 
  with 
  

   sufficient 
  detail, 
  we 
  may 
  now 
  take 
  a 
  hasty 
  survey 
  

   of 
  other 
  contingent 
  cases. 
  In 
  the 
  first 
  place 
  the 
  

   cruciate 
  flowers 
  of 
  some 
  onagraceous 
  plants 
  

   should 
  be 
  remembered. 
  Small 
  linear 
  petals 
  oc- 
  

   cur 
  as 
  a 
  specific 
  character 
  in 
  Oenothera 
  cru- 
  

   ciata 
  of 
  the 
  Adirondacks, 
  but 
  have 
  been 
  seen 
  to 
  

   arise 
  as 
  sudden 
  mutations 
  in 
  the 
  common 
  even- 
  

   ing-primrose 
  (0. 
  biennis) 
  in 
  Holland, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  

   willow-herb 
  (Epilobium 
  liirsutum) 
  in 
  England. 
  

  

  