ON THE TIGRIDIA 



sen ting now two parents, will show a still wider 

 diversity of hereditary traits. 



Meantime, turning attention again to our bulb, 

 we find that this structure represents the parent 

 form with much greater fidelity. As nearly as 

 there can be identity between two different living 

 things, the plant that grows from any offset of the 

 bulb of any given Tigridia will be identical with 

 the parent form. 



A certain amount of diversity there must 

 always be, because no two living organisms are 

 absolutely identical. 



But for all practical purposes it may be said 

 that the different plants grown from offshoots of 

 an original bulb are identical. The process of bulb 

 division can be repeated a thousand or a million 

 times, until the original bulb has been so multi- 

 plied that its descendants people the earth. But 

 from first to last, one bulb will be substantially 

 like another, and all the myriads of plants that 

 have thus arisen may be said to constitute a single 

 personality. 



All this is such familiar matter of fact as to 

 excite no comment. 



Yet, rightly considered, it is a fact of the most 

 mystifying kind and one that must excite wonder- 

 ment on the part of anyone who gives it serious 

 consideration. 



[95] 



