VARIATION 19 



reveals previously unrecognized variations, indicates 

 that variability is much more widespread in nature 

 than is commonly believed. 



The key to Japanese art, as pointed out by Dr. 

 Nitobe, consists in being natural and in faithfully 

 copying nature. It is for this reason that the Jap- 

 anese artist makes each object that he produces unique, 

 because nature herself, whom he strives to follow, never 

 duplicates anything. 



The Bertillon system of personal identification 

 is based upon the constancy of minor variations found 

 in each individual. Its importance is shown in Figure 

 4. The faces of the criminals there pictured would 

 be easily confused by the ordinary observer, but an 

 examination of their thumb prints shows unmistakable 

 differences between these three individuals. 



On the other hand over-emphasis upon the study and 

 analysis of variation may tend to obscure the important 

 fact that parent and offspring in the vast majority of 

 their characteristics are alike. 



3. KINDS OP VARIATION 



A brief enumeration of some of the kinds of variation 

 will reveal their diverse character. 



a. With respect to their nature variations may be 

 morphological, physiological, or psychological. Under 

 morphological variations are included differences in 

 shape, size, or pattern as well as differences in number 

 and relation of constituent parts. 



Differences in activity are of a physiological nature. 



