UNDER DOMESTICATION 13 



monest cause, but to plants not setting, which either 

 is owing to some imperfection of ovule or pollen. 

 Lindley says sterility is the [curse] bane of all pro- 

 pagators, Linnseus about alpine plants. American 

 bog plants, pollen in exactly same state as in 

 hybrids, same in geraniums. Persian and Chinese 1 

 lilac will not seed in Italy and England. Probably 

 double plants and all fruits owe their developed 

 parts primarily (?) to sterility and extra food thus 

 (?) applied 2 . There is here gradation (in) sterility 

 and then parts, like diseases, are transmitted here- 

 ditarily. We cannot assign any cause why the 

 Pontic Azalea produces plenty of pollen and not 

 American 3 , why common lilac seeds and not Persian, 

 we see no difference in healthiness. We know not 

 on what circumstances these facts depend, why 

 ferret breeds, and cheetah 4 , elephant and pig in 

 India will not. 



Now in crossing it is certain every peculiarity 

 in form and constitution is transmitted: an alpine 

 plant transmits its alpine tendency to its off- 

 spring, an American plant its American-bog 

 constitution, and (with) animals, those peculiarities, 

 on which 5 when placed out of their natural conditions 

 they are incapable of breeding; and moreover they 

 transmit every part of their constitution, their 



1 Lindley's remark is quoted in the Origin, Ed. i. p. 9. Linnaeus' 

 remark is to the effect that Alpine plants tend to be sterile under cultiva- 

 tion (see Var. under Dom., Ed. 2, ii. p. 147). In the same place the author 

 speaks of peat-loving plants being sterile in our gardens, no doubt the 

 American bog-plants referred to above. On the following page (p. 148) the 

 sterility of the lilac (Syringa persica and chinensis] is referred to. 



2 The author probably means that the increase in the petals is clue to 

 a greater food supply being available for them owing to sterility. See the 

 discussion in Var. under Dom., Ed. 2, ii. p. 151. It must be noted that 

 doubleness of the flower may exist without noticeable sterility. 



3 I have not come across this case in the author's works. 



4 For the somewhat doubtful case of the cheetah (Felisjubata) see Var. 

 under Dom. y Ed. 2, ii. p. 133. I do not know to what fact "pig in India" 

 refers. 



6 This sentence should run " on which depends their incapacity to breed 

 in unnatural conditions." 



