The sun., 1888-10-28

printed In Richmond. and bound with wal
paper. People OF hostile opinions had no socia
relations with each other.
In 1868 the Union armies came into posses
sion OF this region. and when Gen. Burnside ar.
rived the inhabitants hailed him as their de-
liverer from hated power and the oppression
1t inflicted" I'm the overflow OF their emo.
tions" some Of the people could have clasped
| him In their arms"
We shall not follow DR.. Humes's history
through the remainder Of the war; for Its In
terest consists chiefly In it's description OF
| the stubborn loyalty OF those mountain
| GERS to tho Union. II is wonderful. as he
! says, that situated as they were, they
| should have maintained their resistance
| to accession in the face OF every repressive
measure, and while the cause to which they
were devoted seemed almost hopeless. His
narrative is O very valuable contribution to the
history OF the war.
A New Theory or the Origin or Flowers.
Tho unanimous testimony Of naturalists
shows that the whole organic world is per-
petually In o state Of unstable equilibrium.
tending to change in every direction, although
as far as actually observed tho variations are
always within narrow limits. While on one
hand all living beings resemble those organ
isms OF which theyIare the offspring, on the
other. each new individual differs somewhat
from the traits OF It's ancestors. 1t was upon
this Acknowledged tendency to spontaneous
variation that Mr.. Darwins theory Of the
Origin OF Species wHs based. Those ami
mails or plants. -he maintained. which varied
in q direction favorable to tho existence Of
themselves or their offspring, such as greater
vigor or greater fertility, would have an ad-
vantage In that struggle for existence which
is perpetually waRed upon this earth.
Those organisms which had changed In less
favorable directions would be crowded out.
while variations OF an advantageous kind
would be perpetuated by tho survival and
propagation Of those beings which had pro-
duced them. and would become firmly estab-
lished by the action Of heredity. This is that
doctrine OF tho origin Of species by the sur
viyal OF the flttest which created such an in
tense excitement when first propounded. and
which has since become one OF the established
principles Of science.
Applying this theory to the vegetable king
dom, Mr. Darwin saw In the different floral
structures variations which had been perpetu-
ated because they had contributed to the wel-
fare OF the parent plant. He showed by most
wonderfully elaborate, accurate. and laborious
sories OF experiments that the vigor and fer
tility OF plants, and consequently their chances
Of survival. were immensely increased by
cross-fertilization; E.. by tho fertilization Of
the seeds Of one plant with tho pollen from an
other plant Of the same kind. This can only
be effected when left to nature. in two ways:
by the action Of the wind, which is extremely
uncertain. and by tho agency OF insects. These
latter. In their wanderings from flower to
flower in search of honey and pollen. are tho
great instruments Of cross-fertilization. There
fore, according to Mr. Darwin. the colors,
shapes. perfumes. and markings OF flowers had
all been developed by the gradual natural se-
lection OF those plants which. by Offering su-
perior attractions In these respects to insects.
had insured their repeated visits. and thus So
cured their own cross-fertilization.
But 1t has always been admitted by the up
holders OF tho Darwinian theory that while It
accounts for the establishment Of species. 1t
fails to account for those spontaneous varia-
tions which are the real origin Of species.
Many scattered facts bearing upon this Ques-
ton have been recorded by naturalists. and
vague theories have been occasionally pro-
pounded. Tho majority of those have been
based upon tho supposition that the cause OF
variation waste be sought for In the conditions
surrounding the organism which had produced
them. The most promising OF these theories
were perhaps those which pointed out that
such causes should especially be sought for
in the phenomena OF nutrition. or in some
hitherto undiscovered law OF birth. But. so
far as we arc aware the first serious attempt
to bring forward plausible law Of variation.
supported by copious and carefully attested
facts. is contained in tho last volume Of the In
ternattonal Scientific Series on The Origin Of
Floral Structures Through Insect and Other
Agencies. by the Rev. GEORGE HENsLow I'd. APP
pleton CO.. As the title Of the work shows.
IT. l.. ,-~fkl A.
table world alone. and oven there It is strictly
limited to tho structures Of flowers.
One OF the most eminent botanists OF the
present day. Prot Henslow. has been fitted
by training to handle the question with
thorough technical knowledge. and the adyan-
tage Of q lifelong habit Of observation. He
plainly avows himself disposed to attribute
much less weight than Is usually accorded to
1t to the doctrine Of natural selection as q
cause for the development and perpetuation OF
floral forms. In 80 doing he takes the position
Of definitely denying the great benefits Of cross
Mr. Darwins experiments. ho
showed conclusively that cross-fer- |
tiliZation produced o temporary stimulus to |
the vigor OF the resulting plants: but this in
crease failed to continue under indefinite repe-
titions OF the process. and plants which had |
been cross-fertilized for several generations |
hdu httio OF no advantage ONoT tnobo WHICH |
wore tho product of repeated self-fertilization.
In fact. In the certainty with which the seeds |
were fertilizsd. hs considered that the latter |
had an advantage over the former: and that a
highly differentiated flower which had become |
so complicated as to prevent self-fertilization
and be dependent for setting its seed upon the
visits OF some special variety OF insect light be
easily placed at great disadvantage In tho
struggle for existence. As proof OF this he ad-
iuces the worldwide distribution of those
weeds whose insignificant blossoms are q siG-
aal testimony to the little attention which they
attract from insects. compared with tho re-
,tricted range Of those more magnificent, yet
rarer blossoms. whose SNOWY perianth is the
result OF constant insect visits.
Prof. Henslow. therefore. while not denying
he doctrine OF natural selection. is disposed to
'elogate 1t to o comparatively unimportant
,lacs In tho development OF floral structures.
md to see In these structures only the direct
fleet OF surrounding conditions upon tho
,lant. increased and made permanent by the
working OF heredity While Mr.. Darwin at
ributed the greatest importance to insects in
tho forms and colors OF flowers.