160 Atavism. 



middle race or eversporting variety: that is to say, a race 

 zi'hich produces in every generation a fairly constant 

 proportion of at ovists. This proportion is about 50%. 



The segregation of atavists occurs regularly in gen- 

 erations grown from seed, but sometimes also in those 

 grown by means of bud-variation. The atavists are per- 

 fectly, or at least very nearly, constant. 



The true representatives of the race (i. e., all other 

 than atavists) produce both unbranched and more or less 

 profusely branched ears, and are largely dependent, in 

 regard to this character, on their environment and their 

 individual vigor (fluctuating variability). The stronger 

 the plant and the more favorable the conditions the more 

 pronounced is the anomaly.-^ 



^Compare the behavior of Papaver somnifcvum polyccphahim in 

 Vol. I, Part I, § i6, p. 138; and also the end of this part. 



