﻿726 
  Fluctuations 
  

  

  be 
  demonstrated 
  the 
  most 
  readily 
  by 
  placing 
  a 
  

   sufficient 
  number 
  of 
  adult 
  men 
  in 
  a 
  row, 
  arrang- 
  

   ing 
  them 
  according 
  to 
  their 
  size. 
  The 
  line 
  pass- 
  

   ing 
  over 
  their 
  heads 
  proves 
  to 
  be 
  identical 
  with 
  

   that 
  given 
  by 
  the 
  law 
  of 
  probability. 
  Quite 
  

   in 
  the 
  same 
  way, 
  stems 
  and 
  branches, 
  leaves 
  and 
  

   petals 
  and 
  even 
  fruits 
  can 
  be 
  arranged, 
  and 
  

   they 
  will 
  in 
  the 
  main 
  exhibit 
  the 
  same 
  line 
  of 
  

   variability. 
  Such 
  groups 
  are 
  very 
  striking, 
  and 
  

   at 
  the 
  first 
  glance 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  large 
  majority 
  

   of 
  the 
  specimens 
  deviate 
  from 
  the 
  mean 
  only 
  to 
  

   a 
  very 
  small 
  extent. 
  Wider 
  deviations 
  are 
  far 
  

   more 
  rare, 
  and 
  their 
  number 
  lessens, 
  the 
  greater 
  

   the 
  deviation, 
  as 
  is 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  curvature 
  

   of 
  the 
  line. 
  It 
  is 
  almost 
  straight 
  and 
  horizontal 
  

   in 
  the 
  middle 
  portion, 
  while 
  at 
  the 
  ends 
  it 
  

   rapidly 
  declines, 
  going 
  sharply 
  downward 
  at 
  

   one 
  extreme 
  and 
  upward 
  at 
  the 
  other. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  obvious 
  however, 
  that 
  in 
  these 
  groups 
  

   the 
  leaves 
  and 
  other 
  organs 
  could 
  conveniently 
  

   be 
  replaced 
  by 
  simple 
  lines, 
  indicating 
  their 
  size. 
  

   The 
  result 
  would 
  be 
  quite 
  the 
  same, 
  and 
  the 
  lines 
  

   could 
  be 
  placed 
  at 
  arbitrary, 
  but 
  equal 
  dis- 
  

   tances. 
  Or 
  the 
  sizes 
  could 
  be 
  expressed 
  by 
  fig- 
  

   ures, 
  the 
  compliance 
  of 
  which 
  with 
  the 
  general 
  

   law 
  could 
  be 
  demonstrated 
  by 
  simple 
  methods 
  

   of 
  calculation. 
  In 
  this 
  manner 
  the 
  variability 
  

   of 
  different 
  organs 
  can 
  easily 
  be 
  compared. 
  

  

  Another 
  method 
  of 
  demonstration 
  consists 
  in 
  

  

  