﻿Laws 
  of 
  Fluctuations 
  727 
  

  

  grouping 
  the 
  deviations 
  into 
  previously 
  fixed 
  

   divisions. 
  For 
  this 
  purpose 
  the 
  variations 
  

   are 
  measured 
  by 
  standard 
  units, 
  and 
  all 
  the 
  in- 
  

   stances 
  that 
  fall 
  between 
  two 
  limits 
  are 
  consid- 
  

   ered 
  to 
  constitute 
  one 
  group. 
  Seeds 
  and 
  small 
  

   fruits, 
  berries 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  organs 
  may 
  

   conveniently 
  be 
  dealt 
  with 
  in 
  this 
  way. 
  As 
  an 
  

   example 
  we 
  take 
  ordinary 
  beans 
  and 
  select 
  them 
  

   according 
  to 
  their 
  size. 
  This 
  can 
  be 
  done 
  in 
  

   different 
  ways. 
  On 
  a 
  small 
  piece 
  of 
  board 
  a 
  

   long 
  wedge-shaped 
  slit 
  is 
  made, 
  into 
  which 
  seeds 
  

   are 
  pushed 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  possible. 
  The 
  margin 
  of 
  

   the 
  wedge 
  is 
  calibrated 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  manner 
  that 
  the 
  

   figures 
  indicate 
  the 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  wedge 
  at 
  the 
  

   corresponding 
  place. 
  By 
  this 
  device 
  the 
  figure 
  

   up 
  to 
  which 
  a 
  bean 
  is 
  pushed 
  at 
  once 
  shows 
  its 
  

   length. 
  Fractions 
  of 
  millimeters 
  are 
  neglected, 
  

   and 
  the 
  beans, 
  after 
  having 
  been 
  measured, 
  are 
  

   thrown 
  into 
  cylindrical 
  glasses 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  

   width, 
  each 
  glass 
  receiving 
  only 
  beans 
  of 
  equal 
  

   length. 
  It 
  is 
  clear 
  that 
  by 
  this 
  method 
  the 
  

   height 
  to 
  which 
  beans 
  fill 
  the 
  glasses 
  is 
  ap- 
  

   proximately 
  a 
  measure 
  of 
  their 
  number. 
  If 
  now 
  

   the 
  glasses 
  are 
  put 
  in 
  a 
  row 
  in 
  the 
  proper 
  se- 
  

   quence, 
  they 
  at 
  once 
  exhibit 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  a 
  line 
  

   which 
  corresponds 
  to 
  the 
  law 
  of 
  chance. 
  In 
  this 
  

   case 
  however, 
  the 
  line 
  is 
  drawn 
  in 
  a 
  different 
  

   manner 
  from 
  the 
  first. 
  It 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  pointed 
  out 
  

   that 
  the 
  glasses 
  may 
  be 
  replaced 
  by 
  lines 
  in- 
  

  

  