VARIATIONS IN NATURE. 
BY THOMAS MEEHAN. 
THE idea that art has made most of the variations we find 
in gardens is far removed from the truth. It has done 
much to prevent a true knowledge of the origin of species. 
Art has done little towards making variations; it has only 
helped to preserve the natural evolutions of form from being 
crowded out. There is scarcely any species of wild plants 
but will furnish numberless variations, if we only look for 
them. To-day I examined a large patch of ox-eye daisies 
(Chrysanthemum leucanthemum). The first impression is 
that they are remarkably uniform, yet there were some with 
petals as long only as the width of the disk; others with 
petals double the length. In some the petals taper to a 
narrow point; in others they are tridentate on the apex. 
Again, some flowers have petals uniformly linear. Others 
have them tapering at both ends. Some have recurved and 
others flat petals. In one plant the scales of the involucre 
were very much reflezed, a very striking difference from the 
usually closely appressed condition. 
I have frequently found that these very common things 
which nobody looks at, furnish as many new facts to an 
enquiring mind, as the rare species which every one loves to 
see. 
OBSERVATIONS ON THE FAUNA OF THE SOUTHERN 
ALLEGHANIES 
BY PROFESSOR E. D. COPE. 
I. On the so-called Alleghanian Fauna in General. The 
terms Canadian and Alleghanian, have been applied by Pro- 
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