Ranunculus Bulbosus Scniiplcnus. 



249 



as soon as possible, or were deprived of their flowers: 

 of the rest, only the seeds of flowers with six and more 

 ])etals were saved. But this process is not one of selec- 

 tion, as will be shown by means of some special experi- 

 ments which were instituted later. 



The result of selection could be seen in 1891 in the 

 best examples of the half race, but in 1892 (the fiftli 

 generation of the culture) in nearly all the plants. The 

 number of petals increased in every respect. The apex 



H 1887. 



Fig. 51. Ranimcuhis bulbosus semiplenus. Experiments in 

 selection during the period 1887-1802. H 1887, curve of 

 the wild form; E 1891, curve of the abnormal plants in 

 1891 ; A 1891, curve of the selected seed-parents in 1891. 

 1892, curve of the whole crop in August 1892. The num- 

 bers at the base refer to the number of petals per flower. 



of the curve shifted to 9 and 10 petals and even further; 

 that is to say, the mean of the half race (9-10 petals) 

 was separated by selection from that of the pure s])ecies 

 (5 petals), a point which is rather striking because this 

 was not effected in my experiment with Trifoliuni in- 

 carnatum. The course of the whole experiment is ex- 

 hil)ite(l graphically in Fig. 51 which is composed of four 

 curves. The first (H 1887) exhibits the countings given 



