150 
Atavism. 
Plantago lanccolata rainosa, therefore, produces a pro- 
portion of about one-half atavistic individuals every year. 
The variability in the fig- 
ures given is at least in part 
dependent on external in- 
fluences (nutrition and selec- 
tion). Closer examination 
of the individual years proves 
the truth of this. In 1892 I 
had 48 plants in flower ; nine 
of these plants produced split 
leaves and pitchers at the 
time when they were being 
transplanted, about three 
weeks after the seed had 
been sown, and seemed espe- 
cially desirable on this ac- 
count. In the summer they 
turned out to be all rainosa- 
plants with richly branched 
spikes. They were cultivated 
the following year also ; and 
the sixth generation was 
raised partly from their seed 
and partly from the seed har- 
vested in 1892 from two 
other seed-parents. From 
the latter were raised 103 
plants which flowered, of 
Fig. 26. Plantago lanceolata which 50 c/ c , atavists, 
ramosa. A whole plant. 
this proportion being nearly 
the same for the two seed-parents. In order to investi- 
gate this, the seeds of the individual seed-parents were, 
