If, instead of examining the variations of the individuals of the race,
we study the variations in the different organs of the same individual,
we find in many cases that certain organs vary together. Thus the right
and the left leg nearly always vary in the same direction, also the
first joints of the index and middle fingers, and the stature and the
forearm. On the other hand, the length of the clavicle and that of the
humerus do not vary together to the same extent; and the breadth and
height of the skull even less so.
════════════╤════╤════╤════╤════╤════╤════╤════╤════╤════╤════╤════╤════╤════
No. of Veins│ 10│ 11│ 12│ 13│ 14│ 15│ 16│ 17│ 18│ 19│ 20│ 21│ 22
────────────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────
First Tree │ —│ —│ —│ —│ —│ 1│ 4│ 7│ 9│ 4│ 1│ —│ —
Second Tree │ —│ —│ —│ 3│ 4│ 9│ 8│ 2│ —│ —│ —│ —│ —
════════════╧════╧════╧════╧════╧════╧════╧════╧════╧════╧════╧════╧════╧════
We may also study those cases in which a particular organ is repeated a
number of times in the same individual, as are the leaves of a tree. If
the leaves of the same tree are examined in respect, for example, to the
number of veins that each contains, we find that the number varies, and
that the results give a variation polygon exactly like that when
different individuals are compared with one another. Let us take the
illustration given by Pearson. He counted the veins on each side of the
midrib of the leaves of the beech. If a number of leaves be collected
from one tree, and the same number from another, and if all those having
fifteen veins are put in one vertical column, and all those with sixteen
in another, as shown in the following table, it will be found that each
tree has a mode of its own. Thus in the first tree the mode is
represented by nine individuals having eighteen veins, and in the second
by nine individuals having fifteen veins. So far as this character is
concerned we might have interchanged certain of the individual leaves,
but we could not have interchanged the two series. They are _individual_
to the two trees. Now in what does this individuality consist? Clearly
there are most leaves in one tree with eighteen ribs, and most in the
other with fifteen ribs.
If we contrast these results with those obtained by picking at random a
large number of leaves from different beech trees, we have no longer
types of individuals, but racial characters. Pearson has given the
following table to illustrate these points:
Frequency of Different Types of Beech Leaves
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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