318 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



probably due to the imperfection which characterizes even our 

 most advanced attainments. For example, while the medical and 

 sanitary sciences, by their progress, are diminishing the dangers 

 which beset humanity, they have also been the means of preserv- 

 ing and permitting the perpetuation of the weaklings of the 

 race, which, had natural selection exercised its unhindered sway, 

 would have been crushed out of existence in the struggle for life. 

 It is, however, of the essence of true scientific knowledge, when 

 perfected, that it enables us to predict, and if we ever rise to the 

 possession of a true appreciation of the influences which have 

 affected mankind in the past, we should endeavor to learn how to 

 direct these influences in the future that they shall work for the 

 progress of the race. With such a knowledge we shall be able to 

 advance in that practical branch of anthropology, the science of 

 education ; and so to guide and foster the physical, intellectual, 

 and moral growth of the individual that he will be enabled to ex- 

 ercise all his powers in the best possible directions. And, lastly, 

 we shall make progress in that kindred department, sociology, the 

 study of which does for the community what the science of edu- 

 cation does for the individual. Is it a dream that the future has 

 in store for us such an anthropological Utopia ? — Reprinted from 

 Nature. 



SOME VEGETABLE MALFORMATIONS. 



By Prof. BYEON D. HALSTED. 



BY malformations are here understood those structures that 

 are so unusual as to attract attention and so curious as to 

 suggest that they are individual freaks to be explained by some 

 peculiarity of surroundings or not at all. They may occur more 

 frequently with some species of plants than with others, but are 

 usually outside of the reign of the rules of inheritance, and there- 

 fore not governed by the ordinary laws of vegetative growth. 



It is the purpose here first to treat of some of the more common 

 and striking of these monstrosities, and then, if possible, to indi- 

 cate how these extravagant forms may serve as keys to unlock 

 some otherwise hidden secrets in vegetable morphology. 



It is difficult to make any satisfactory classification of these 

 monstrosities, and therefore instances will be given somewhat in 

 the following order — namely, those of stems, of leaves, of flowers, 

 and finally of fruits. One of the most frequent abnormities of 

 the stem is that where, instead of the nearly cylindrical form, it 

 becomes broad and ribbon-shaped. This type of malformation is 

 confined to the less woody stems, as those of the asparagus. Fig. 

 1 shows such an instance, where the stem broadened out to nearly 



