Amphicarpcea vionoica. . 2/ 



active in effecting such transformations ; chief among these 

 may be reckoned the amount of moisture. The great ease 

 with which chlorophyll is replaced by anthocyanm, and the 

 disappearance of the strengthening tissue, lead to the conclu- 

 sion that the primitive hereditary characteristics may readily 

 be set aside, and some latent or recently acquired ones be 

 stimulated into vigorous development. 



The -reat increase in size of the seeds is probably due to 

 rapid Accumulation of moisture. Weighing these seeds 

 before and after exposure to heat, is proof that water forms a 

 large percentage of the constituents. The more numerous 

 mv observations, the more 1 incline to the supposition that the 

 hairs upon the legume must assist greatly in the work of 

 imbibition, but as yet no definite information has been 



obtained. t j\ ^ 



I have stated in the published paper already referred to, 

 that I consider the purple flowers to represent the original type. 

 This remark is equally true of their legumes. Therefore 

 taking these as a standard, we are ready from what we know 

 concerning the structure of the subterranean flower, to antici- 

 pate equally great reductions in the subterranean legumes, and 

 such we have seen to be the case. Developing in darkness, 

 the protoplasm remains less active, the plastids decrease in 

 number, the elements upon whose mechanical activity dehi- 

 scence in the aerial type is largely dependent, are entirely 

 undifferentiated. Yet experimental work convinces one, that 

 it would be an easy task to obtain a complete series illustrating 

 every step in the transformation. 



The history of AmphicarpcBa is thus a striking epitome of 

 flower and fruit variation. It is evident that the production 

 of these diverse forms lies quite within the possibilities and 

 indeed the probabilities of any one plant. These modifications 

 occur before our eyes, as it were, in a comparatively short 



period of time. , , 



To obtain evidence upon the subject of variation, it is 



