226 ILLEGITIMATE OFFSPRING OF Chap. V. 



even on the same plant, being rather shorter, or con- 

 siderably longer, than in the normal long-styled form; 

 and the stigmas likewise varied in shape. It is, 

 therefore, probable that an equal-styled variety of the 

 primrose might be found on careful search; and I 

 have received two accounts of plants apparently in this 

 condition. The stamens always occupied their proper 

 position low down in the corolla; and the pollen- 

 grains were of the small size proper to the long-styled 

 form, but were mingled with many minute and 

 shrivelled grains. The yellow-flowered and the purple- 

 flowered plants of this first generation were fertilised 

 under a net with their own pollen, and the seed sepa- 

 rately sown. From the former, 22 plants were raised 

 and all were yellow and long-styled. From the latter 

 or the purple-flowered plants, 24 long-styled plants 

 were raised, of which 17 were purple and 7 yellow. 

 In this last case we have an instance of reversion in 

 colour, without the possibility of any cross, to the grand- 

 parents or more distinct progenitors of the plants in 

 question. Altogether 23 plants in the first generation 

 and 46 in the second generation were raised; and the^ 

 whole of these 69 illegitimate plants were long-styled! 



Eight purple-flowered and two yellow-flowered plants 

 of the first illegitimate generation were fertilised in 

 various ways with their own pollen and with that of 

 the common primrose; and the seeds were separately 

 counted, but as I could detect no difference in fertility 

 between the purple and yellow varieties, the results 

 are run together in the following table. (See opposite 

 page. ) 



If we compare the figures in this table with those 



■ 



given in the first chapter, showing the normal fertility 

 of the common primrose, we shall see that the illegiti- 

 mate purple- and yellow-flowered varieties are very 



