136 
Atavism. 
seeds. The transition from the red to the striped oscil- 
lates round 25%, the transition from the striped to the 
red is largely dependent on the degree of striping, which 
points to the existence of factors as yet incompletely 
understood. 
It may perhaps be mentioned here in anticipation that 
the varieties of Hesperis and Clarkia (15 and 16) 
with striped flowers behave in the same way , whilst both 
in Plantago ( 17) and Linaria vulgar is peloria (20) 
the eversporting variety is inconstant and reverts more 
or less easily to the atavistic type. 
15. HESPERIS MATRONALIS. 
The flowers of the dame's violet are violet as the 
name indicates. There are three varieties on the market : 
a white flowered, a double, and a 
dwarf variety, all of which are con- 
stant so far as I know. A Forma 
lUacina and a "mixed" sort are of- 
fered in the catalogues. The plants 
are perennial; if the seed is sown in 
the spring, the majority of the plants 
will not flower until the following 
year; but if the seed is sown as soon 
as it ripens, or is allowed to fall on 
the ground instead of being harvested, 
the plants generally flower the next 
year. I have employed both of these methods at different 
times. 
I obtained my seeds in 1890 from a mixed group 
of white and violet flowered plants which were growing 
in our Botanical Garden. I grew them for two genera- 
Fig. 24. Hesperis 
matronalis. A flow- 
er of the pale finely 
striped form, with 
half of one of its 
petals dark violet. 
