De Vries cultivated for fifteen years the Evening Primrose, a plant of American origin (_Œnothera lamarckiana_). He obtained, suddenly, a set of flowers quite distinct from those of the original plant. They presented such great differences that he could separate them as several quite distinct species. During the first few years De Vries obtained three species (_Œnotera lata_, _Œn. nanella_, and sometimes _Œn. scintillans_), but variation becoming more and more prevalent, he ultimately distinguished a dozen new species. These were grown from seed, and transmitted their specific characters to their descendants. De Vries, in this way, was a witness of the sudden appearance of new species. It is probable that man owes his origin to a similar phenomenon. Some anthropoid ape having at a certain period become varied in specific characters, produced offspring endowed with new properties. The brain, of abnormal size, placed in a spacious cranium, allowed a rapid development of intellectual faculties much more advanced than those of the parent and those of the original species. This peculiarity would be transmitted to the descendants, and, as it was of very considerable advantage in the struggle for existence, the new race would hold its own, propagate and prevail. The extraordinary development of intelligence necessarily led to perfections in the choice of nourishment, perfections which approached the art of preparing more digestible food. The jaws, under these conditions, had not such a difficult task as before, and, moreover, they were no longer required for attack or defence. They became less developed than in the true anthropoid apes. These suggestions involve a conception of the mind that is in harmony with known facts. From time to time prodigies are born with some talent far greater than the gifts possessed by the parents. About twelve years ago a young native of Piedmont, Jacques Inaudi by name, became famous in Paris on account of his extraordinary power of calculation. He had an astonishing memory for figures, and could perform mathematical calculations with surprising rapidity.[65] Two minutes were sufficient for him to multiply two numbers composed of seven and six figures. Other arithmetical calculations, such as the extraction of roots, gave him but little trouble. To attain this result, Inaudi made use of his extraordinary memory for figures, founded on the persistence of auditory images. When he heard the numbers pronounced, he remembered them. Inaudi declared to the Commission convened by the Academy of Sciences, that when he tried to recall the numbers he heard them as if repeated aloud, in the tone of his own voice, and that he could hear them for the greater part of the day. “In an hour, or in two hours’ time, if I thought of the number that was uttered, I should be able to repeat it as exactly as I have done before the Commission.”