470 Varietäten, Descendenz, Hybriden. 



Lock, R. H., Notes on Colour Inheritance in Maize. (Ann. 

 Roy. bot. Gard. Peradeniya. V. 4. p. 257—264. 1912.) 



In an earlier paper the author recorded experiments on the 

 inheritance of the pigmentation of the aleurone layer in Zea Mais, 

 but did not solve the problems involved (Ibid. vol. III part 2, 1906). 

 The memoir of East and Hayes gave a Mendelian interpretation 

 of the phenomena (Connecticut Agr. Exp. Sta. Bulletin no. 167) and 

 Lock now re-examines his old results, together with some new 

 ones, in the light of their hypotheses. In the main the results are 

 concordant, and the theories of East and Hayes are therefore 

 confirmed. Certain of the phenomena, however, still require expla- 

 nation. R. H. Compton (Cambridge). 



Ostenfeid, C. H., Experiments on the Origin of Species 

 in the Genus Hieracium (Apogamy and Hybridism). (New 

 Phytol. IX. 9. p. 347—354. 1912.) 



The author reviews the various conditions found in different 

 species with respect to sexuality, apogamy and polymorphism. In 

 the sub-genus Stenotheca normal sexual phenomena occur and there 

 is no polymorphism. In § Archieracium nearly all species are com- 

 pletely apogamous, and there is much pollen-sterility: the polymor- 

 phism is extreme. In § Püosella most species are partly apogamous, 

 hybridisation being possible. 



In crosses between § Pilosella species the F^ offspring is hete- 

 rogeneous, consisting of some individuals like the mother(produced 

 apogamously), and some individuals which are evidently hybrids 

 but which differ among themselves. Many of the hybrids are wholly 

 or nearly sterile: but some are raore or less fertile and are apoga- 

 mous, so that each new type breeds true. 



In § Archieracium there is evidence of mutation. The author 

 concludes that in Hieraciurn new forms arise by means of hybridi- 

 sation and also by means of Single variations: in both cases the 

 new forms remain constant owing to apogamy. 



R. H. Compton (Cambridge). 



Samsonoff, C, Sulla variazione ereditaria delle proprieiCi 

 tessili delle fibre nei cotoni ibridati. (Ann. R. Scuola Nor- 

 male Super di Pisa. XII. 17 pp. 5 taf. 1913.) 



L'auteur a etudie les caracteres (longueur, finesse, homogeneite) 

 des fibres d'un coton hybride issu du cruisement entre les varietes 

 „Mississippi" et „Biancavilla"; la longueur des fibres (mm. 28,249) 

 montre la quasi-dominance du caractere de Tun des parents (Mis- 

 sissipi mm. 30,122, Biancavilla mm. 20,699); la finesse et l'homoge- 

 neite sont plus grandes que dans les types primitifs; les propriötes 

 textiles des fibres ont ete ameliorees par rh5''bridation. 



C. Bonaventura (Firenze). 



South, F. W., The Application of Mendelian Principles 



to Sugar-Cane ßreedlng. (West Indian Bull. XII. 3. p. 365— 



377. 1912.) 



A Short Statement of some fundamental principles of Variation 



and heredity, and a discussion of the possibility of applying these 



principles to the improvement of cultivated races of sugar-cane. It 



