328 THE AMEBIC AX XA1TRALIST [Vol. XLVI 



parisons will be between ancestral individuals or their 

 offspring belonging to different generations. Such will 

 be called cross inter-ramal comparisons. 



The most crucial test is that afforded by the direct 

 inter-ramal comparisons. Both the intra-ramal and the 

 cross inter-ramal comparisons have the disadvantage 

 that the (possible) seed age factor is not excluded. 

 Again, atmospheric (meteorological) factors play a much 

 larger part where different seasons instead of a single 

 season are involved. 



Turning to our own available data, we note the fol- 

 lowing points concerning the comparisons : 



Only such comparisons as can be made on the basis of 

 both ancestral and comparison series are discussed, al- 

 though data for some others, e. g., NH, XD, US, FS, USC, 

 FSC are given. 



In all cases the differences are taken 



Starvation 



feeding 



so that when starvation tends to reduce a character the 

 difference bears the negative sign. 



If we continue our attention strictly to those within 

 the strain, we have the following inter-ramal compar- 

 isons : 



HD-HH TID-HIIH 



HDD-HHH HDD-UK 



DD-DH DD-DHH 



DDD-DHH DDD-DH 



USD-USS USD-USHH 



USD-USH USDD-USS 



USDD-USHH USDD-USH 



FSD-FSS FSDD-FSS 



FSD-FSH FSDD-FSH 



FSDD-FSHH FSDD-FSH 



If we go beyond the limits of the populations formed 

 by splitting the seeds of the same individual into two 



