36 



Latent and Scuii-Latcnt Characters. 



numerous species and genera, either together, or sepa- 

 rately. Both are easily influenced by high nutrition and 

 selection, hut are usually quite distinct and only appar- 

 ently connected by transitional forms. 



§ 5. TRIFOLIUM PRATENSE QUINQUEFOLIUM, AN EVER- 

 SPORTING RACE. 



Four-leaved clovers are notoriously rare in nature, 

 but it is perfectly easy to have many hundreds of them, 

 provided a hereditary race can be obtained. Isolated ex- 



Fig. 3. Tri folium pratensc quinqiicfolhini, five-leaved and 

 seven-leaved leaves of clover. The left leaf, A, shows 

 a transition towards the 6-merous leaf in the splitting of 

 one of its leaflets. 



amples of this race seem to occur sporadically in nature ; 

 all that has to be done is to find, to isolate, and to multiply 

 them. (Fig. 3.) 



In the following section I shall describe the history 

 of a particular race. I shall do so largely with a view to 

 emphasizing the contrast between a middle race and a 



