Further Observations on the Selective Elimination of Ovaries in Staphylea. x8l 



Compare now the results for the general collections for the three 

 3'ears. For position and ovules per locuie, we have: 

 1906, Table II, r = — . 0501 + • 0086. 



1908, Table III, r = — . 0519 +. 0061. 



1909, Table IV, ;-= — . 0895 +• 0085. 



These results indicate that there is a slight decrease in the number 

 of o\'ules per locuie as we pass from the base to the tip of the in- 

 florescence. 



The amount of the relationship may perhaps be clearer, if ex- 

 pressed in terms of regression. For straight line equations we have 

 for position and ovules: 



1906, = 8. 2779 — . 0716/ 



1908, = y . 6863 — . 0736/ 



1909, = 8 . 0332 — . 1348/- 



Diagram I. Decrease in number of ovules per locuie associated with more distal 

 position of fruit on inflorescence. The dots, circles, and crosses show the empirical 

 means; the lines are graduations of the data from the straight line equations. Solid 

 dots and line = 1906, Circles and dotted line = 1908, Crosses and dot-and dash 

 line = 1909. The means for the more distal positions carry little weight because of 

 the smallness of the numbers upon which they are based. 



Thus in a comparison of fruits from two adjoining nodes, we 

 should expect the mean of those from the more distal node to be 

 about one tenth of an ovule lower than that from the more 

 proximal one. 



Diagram I makes the slenderness of the relationships with which 

 we are dealing patent to the eye. The deviations of the empirical 



