178 A Defence of Mendel's 



V. PROFESSOR WELDON'S QUOTATIONS FROM LAXTON. 



In support of his conclusions Professor Weldon adduces 

 two passages from Laxton, some of whose testimony we 

 have just considered. This further evidence of Laxton 

 is so important that I reproduce it in full. The first 

 passage, published in 1866, is as follows : 



" The results of experiments in crossing the Pea tend to show 

 that the colour of the immediate offspring or second generation 

 sometimes follows that of the female parent, is sometimes 

 intermediate between that and the male parent, and is sometimes 

 distinct from both ; and although at times it partakes of the 

 colour of the male, it has not been ascertained by the experimenter 

 ever to follow the exact colour of the male parent*. In shape, 

 the seed frequently has an intermediate character, but as often 

 follows that of either parent. In the second generation, in a 

 single pod, the result of a cross of Peas different in shape and 

 colour, the seeds are sometimes all intermediate, sometimes 

 represent either or both parents in shape or colour, and 

 sometimes both colours and characters, with their intermediates, 

 appear. The results also seem to show that the third generation 

 or the immediate offspring of a cross, frequently varies from its 

 parents in a limited manner usually in one direction only, 

 but that the fourth generation produces numerous and wider 

 variations f ; the seed often reverting partly to the colour and 

 character of its ancestors of the first generation, partly partaking 

 of the various intermediate colours and characters, and partly 

 sporting quite away from any of its ancestry." 



* This is of course on account of the maternal seed characters. 

 Unless the coat-characters are treated separately from the cotyledon- 

 characters Laxton's description is very accurate. Both this and the 

 statements respecting the "shape " of the seeds, a term which as used 

 by Laxton means much more than merely "wrinkled" and "smooth," 

 are recognizably true as general statements. 



t Separation of hypallelomorphs. 



