I wish to point out that the decision of what is to be expected from deviating specimens may become manifest within one or two generations. Even the generation grown from the seeds of [361] the first observed aberrant-individuals, if gathered after sufficient isolation during the period of blossoming, may show which type of inheritance is present, whether it is an unpromising half-race, or a richly endowed sporting variety. I have kept such strains repeatedly after the first isolation, and a special case, that of cotyledoneous aberrations, will be dealt with later. The first generation always gave a final decision, provided that a suitable method of cultivation for the species under observation was found at the beginning. This however, is a condition, which it is not at all easy to comply with, when new sorts are introduced into a garden. Especially so when they had been collected in the wild state. Often one or two years, sometimes more, are necessary to find the proper method of sowing, manuring, transplanting and, other cultural methods satisfactory to the plants. Many wild species require more care and more manure in gardens than the finest garden flowers. And a large number are known to be dependent on very particular conditions of soil. One of the most curious features of anomalies, which has been learned from accumulated instances, is the fact that they obey definite laws as to their occurrence on the different parts of the plant. Obviously such laws are [362] not apparent as long as each plant produces only one or two, or, at most, a few instances of the same deviation. On the contrary, any existing regularity must betray itself, as soon as a larger number of instances is produced. A rule of periodicity becomes most clearly manifest in such cases. This rule is shown by no other race in a more undoubted and evident manner than by the "five-leaved" clover. Evidently the several degrees of deviation, going from three to seven leaflets, may be regarded as responses to different degrees of variation, and their distribution over the stems and branches, or over the whole plant, may be considered as the manifestation of the ever-changing internal tendency to vary. Considered from this point of view, my plants always showed a definite periodicity in this distribution, which is the same for the whole plant. Each of them, and each of the larger branches, begin with atavistic leaves or with slight deviations. These are succeeded by greater deviations, but only the strongest axes show as many as seven leaflets on a stalk. This ordinarily does not occur before the height of development is reached, and often only towards its close. Then the deviation diminishes rapidly, returning often to atavistic leaves at the summit of the stem or branch. I give the numbers of the [363] leaves of a branch, in their order from the base to the top. They were as follows: 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 5. 5. 4.