No. 539] ORIGIN OF SPECIES IN NATURE 



661 



of such an interpretation. Thus the finding by Mr. W. 

 H. Ransome, of several plants of the four-leaved variety 

 of Fragaria vesca at a point about twenty miles west of 

 Kalispel, Flathead Co., Mont. A new form, which has 

 appeared at various times and which because of the na- 

 ture of the variation is incapacitated from reproducing 

 itself by seed, would from this very fact constitute an 

 ideal illustration of repeated mutation, since a hybrid 

 origin of the individuals which appeared later, is ex- 

 cluded. Such an instance is yielded by the wheat-ear 

 carnation, Dianthus Caryophyllus imbricatus. A sterile 

 variety, it is propagated vegetatively. First described 

 in the eighteenth century, and since then the subject of 

 comment on the part of several teratologics, its sudden 

 appearance has been noted in different stocks and at 

 various times and places. 51 Instances of similar mal- 

 formations may be met with from time to time. Thus 

 Ballard-"- describes a sunflower in which the flowers were 

 replaced by scales. 



It is a question whether the plants of Arctium minus 

 laexniatum from Albion are to be considered as derived 

 from preexisting plants of the variety or whether they 

 have arisen de novo. Are they perhaps the result of a 

 mutation of Arctium minus? Plants of both the species 

 and the variety were found growing near the junction 

 of Hannah St., Albion and the Kalamazoo River. The 

 road at this point is bordered by a tall fence between 

 which and the sidewalk is a space about 11 feet in width. 

 In a strip about 45 feet in length, among other weeds and 

 with several specimens of the species, were found about 

 a dozen individuals of Arctium minus laciniatum. Five 

 of these were two-year-old plants, the remainder young 

 rosets. As far as could be judged at the time, but slight 



