﻿794 
  Fluctuations 
  

  

  rare 
  monstrosities 
  are 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  category, 
  

   especially 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  of 
  so 
  rare 
  occurrence 
  

   as 
  not 
  to 
  give 
  any 
  noticeable 
  contribution 
  to 
  

   the 
  seed-production, 
  or 
  even 
  if 
  they 
  render 
  their 
  

   bearers 
  incapable 
  of 
  reproduction. 
  In 
  such 
  

   cases 
  the 
  selection 
  of 
  normal 
  plants 
  is 
  very 
  se- 
  

   vere 
  or 
  even 
  absolute, 
  but 
  the 
  anomalies 
  are 
  by 
  

   no 
  means 
  exterminated. 
  Any 
  favorable 
  circum- 
  

   stances, 
  or 
  experimental 
  selection 
  in 
  their 
  be- 
  

   half 
  shows 
  them 
  to 
  be 
  still 
  capable 
  of 
  full 
  devel- 
  

   opment. 
  Numerous 
  cases 
  of 
  such 
  subordinate 
  

   hereditary 
  characters 
  constitute 
  the 
  greater 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  science 
  of 
  vegetable 
  teratology. 
  

  

  If 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  objected 
  that 
  all 
  these 
  cases 
  

   cover 
  too 
  short 
  a 
  time 
  to 
  be 
  decisive, 
  or 
  at 
  least 
  

   fail 
  in 
  giving 
  evidence 
  relative 
  to 
  former 
  times, 
  

   alpine 
  plants 
  afford 
  a 
  proof 
  which 
  one 
  can 
  

   hardly 
  expect 
  to 
  be 
  surpassed. 
  During 
  the 
  

   whole 
  present 
  geologic 
  epoch 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  

   subjected 
  to 
  the 
  never 
  failing 
  selection 
  of 
  their 
  

   climate 
  and 
  other 
  external 
  conditions. 
  They 
  

   exhibit 
  a 
  full 
  and 
  striking 
  adaptation 
  to 
  these 
  

   conditions, 
  but 
  also 
  possess 
  the 
  latent 
  capacity 
  

   for 
  assuming 
  lowland 
  characters 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  

   they 
  are 
  transported 
  into 
  such 
  environment. 
  

   Obviously 
  this 
  capacity 
  never 
  becomes 
  active 
  

   on 
  the 
  mountains, 
  and 
  is 
  always 
  counteracted 
  

   by 
  selection. 
  This 
  agency 
  is 
  evidently 
  without 
  

   any 
  effect, 
  for 
  as 
  we 
  have 
  seen 
  when 
  dealing 
  

  

  