else if (type == "Normal" || type == "Gaussian")

    {

      if (value.size () == 0)

        {

          var = NormalVariable ();

        }

      else

        {

          tmp = value.find (":");

          if (tmp == value.npos)

            {

              NS_FATAL_ERROR ("bad Normal/Gaussian value: " << value);

            }

          std::string::size_type tmp2;

          std::string sub = value.substr (tmp + 1, value.npos);

          tmp2 = sub.find (":");

          if (tmp2 == value.npos)

            {

              istringstream issA (value.substr (0, tmp));

              istringstream issB (sub);

              double a, b;

              issA >> a;

              issB >> b;

              var = NormalVariable (a, b);

            }

          else

            {

              istringstream issA (value.substr (0, tmp));

              istringstream issB (sub.substr (0, tmp2));

              istringstream issC (sub.substr (tmp2 + 1, value.npos));

              double a, b, c;

              issA >> a;

              issB >> b;

              issC >> c;

              std::cerr << "NormalVariable ("<<a<<", "<<b<<", "<<c<<");" << std::endl;

              var = NormalVariable (a, b, c);

            }

        }

    }