No. 506] DARWIN AND MUTATION THEORY 



75 



pects it to become the parent of a new family." In this 

 connection Mr. Darwin called attention to the now well- 

 known fact that the mutative tendency is an inheritable 

 one by citing the case of the common double moss-rose, 

 imported into England from Italy about the year 1735, 

 which "probably arose from the Provence rose (R. centi- 

 folia) by bud- variation, " the mite Provence rose itself 

 having apparently originated in the same way." He 

 also called attention to the significant fact that many 

 abrupt variations were not to be attributed either to re- 

 version or to the splitting-up of hybrids. Thus he de- 

 clares : 



Provence rose is a return to a former state, for mossiness of the calyx 

 has been observed in no natural species; the same argument is ap- 

 plicable to variegated and laciniated leaves; nor can the appearance of 



Further on in the same work he says : 

 k Many cases of bud-variation . . . can not be attributed to reversion, 



plants raised from seed. As a single variety of the chrysanthemum 

 has produced by buds six other varieties, and as one variety of the 



