28 Descent 



myself to direct field observations, and to trials 

 of seed, collected from the wild plants in their 

 native locality. Obviously the mutations are 

 decided within the seed, and the culture of 

 young plants from them had no other aim than 

 that of ascertaining what had occurred in the 

 field. But then the many chances of destruc- 

 tion that threaten young plants in a wild state, 

 could be avoided in the garden where enviro- 

 nmental factors can be controlled. 



My second line of inquiry was an experi- 

 mental repetition of the phenomena which were 

 only partly discerned at the native locality. It 

 was not my aim to intrude into the process, nor 

 to try to bring out new features. My only ob- 

 ject was to submit to the precepts just given, 

 concerning pure treatment, individual seed- 

 gathering, exclusion of crosses and accurate 

 recording of all the facts. The result has been 

 a pedigree which now permits of stating the re- 

 lation between all the descendants of my orig- 

 inal introduced plant. This pedigree at once 

 exhibits the laws followed by the mutating spe- 

 cies. The main fact is, that it does not change 

 itself gradually, but remains unaffected during 

 all succeeding generations. It only throws off 

 new forms, which are sharply contrasted with 

 the parent, and which are from the very begin- 

 ning as perfect and as constant, as narrowly 



