Transformation of ^gilops into Wheat. 119 



ing generations it preserved only one of these awns. In the 

 absence of well-established facts showing that M. Fabre has made 

 a mistake, and that he has confounded two forms (which never- 

 theless he has taken so much pains to distinguish), facts which 

 M. Jordan does not bring forward, there is not at present any 

 motive for rejecting as erroneous the observations made by so 

 exact and intelligent a person. In addition to this, the locality 

 of Agde, this locality surrounded by a belt of vineyards, where 

 this skilful observer first gathered his seeds — would be the only 

 one, according to M. Jordan, where JErjilops speltceformis has 

 been met with. Now in this very locality, which I have visited 

 under the guidance of M. Fabre, I have seen and collected only 

 the typical form of tlie ^gilops triticoides of Requien ; I have 

 still before me the specimens which I brought from there, and 

 which M. Jordan has himself seen in my herbarium. Therefore 

 there is no proof that ^gilops speltcpformis has been found wild 

 in the South of France, and still less in the East. Yet it would 

 have been rational to have previously established this important 

 fact before throwing doubt upon the modifications which M. 

 Fabre assured us he had obtained by the cultivation of j^gilops 

 triticoides. But M. Jordan starts from metaphysical principles 

 which he has created as to species, and which he has expounded 

 at length in the first twelve pages of his work upon the Origin of 

 Fruit-trees. Now if he meets with facts opposing these same 

 ])rinciples he systematically denies them, as he has himself 

 taken care to warn us, with much frankness, in the following 

 passage, which is too interesting not to be quoted : " It must be 

 observed," says M. Jordan, " that as the laws of being cannot 

 be contrary to the laws of thought, and as experience can never 

 give results having absolute validity, since it is limited in its field 

 of study — if it happen that certain facts appear contrary to the 

 necessary and evident conceptions of the reason, tliey must always 

 be rejected."^ It seems to us it would be equally justifiable, when 

 the facts disagree with M. Jordan's principles, to conclude that 

 his metaphysics do not rest on a very solid foundation. They do 

 not guide even him safely, since at this time he entertains, as we 

 have shown above, and as indeed he avows, an opinion concern- 

 ing j^gilops triticoides, which three years ago he contested and 

 then pronounced judgment on with the greatest severity. We 

 shall not follow him on to this ground ; material facts alone are 

 in question here. I will first observe that the three hybrid forms 

 of u^gilops which originate spontaneously in the South of France, 

 whether from j^gilops ovata or ^gilops triaristata, and two 



* Jordan, ' De I'Origine des divers Varietes ou Especes des Arbres Fniitiers,' 

 D. 12. 



