84 Menders Experiments 



afford an instructive example of this. A white-flowered 

 example of Dianthus caryophyllus, which itself was derived 

 from a white-flowered variety, was shut up during its 

 blooming period in a greenhouse ; the numerous seeds 

 obtained therefrom yielded plants entirely white-flowered 

 like itself. A similar result was obtained from a subspecies, 

 with red flowers somewhat flushed with violet, and one 

 with flowers white, striped with red. Many others, on the 

 other hand, which were similarly protected, yielded progeny 

 which were more or less variously coloured and marked. 



Whoever studies the colouration which results in orna- 

 mental plants from similar fertilisation can hardly escape 

 the conviction that here also the development follows a 

 definite law which possibly finds its expression in the 

 combination of several independent colour characters. 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 



It can hardly fail to be of interest to compare the 

 observations made regarding Pisum with the results arrived 

 at by the two authorities in this branch of knowledge, 

 Kolreuter and Gartner, in their investigations. According 

 to the opinion of both, the hybrids in outer appearance 

 present either a form intermediate between the original 

 species, or they closely resemble either the one or the other 

 type, and sometimes can hardly be discriminated from it. 

 From their seeds usually arise, if the fertilisation was 

 effected by their own pollen, various forms which differ 

 from the normal type. As a rule, the majority of individuals 

 obtained by one fertilisation maintain the hybrid form, 

 while some few others come more like the seed parent, 

 and one or other individual approaches the pollen parent. 

 This, however, is not the case with all hybrids without 

 exception. With some the offspring have more nearly 



