134 Varietäten, Descendenz, Hj'^briden. 



the case of certain characters, however, there is complete domi- 

 nance in the hybrids irrespective of whether these characters are 

 derived from the maternal or paternal sides. It is suggested that 

 matroclinism is possibly due, directly or indirectly, to the influence 

 of the cytoplasm of the egg-cell, and is not necessarily of the same 

 origin as the patroclinism of de Vries' reciprocal hybrids of 

 Oenothera biennis and Oe. ynuricata. 



R. H. Compton (Cambridge). 



Leake, H. M. and R. Prasad. Notes on the Incidence and 

 Effect of Sterility and of Cross-Fer tilisa tion in the 

 Indian Cottons. (Mem. Depart. Agric. India. Bot. Series. IV. 

 W 3. p. 37—72. 1912.) 



The Indian varieties and species of Gossypium are more or less 

 self-sterile : further a considerable degree of sterility results from 

 self-fertilisation repeated through a number of successivegenerations. 

 this being associated with the abortion or incomplete development 

 of the stamens. Pure cultures obtained by means of self-pollination 

 are therefore likely to be of small practical value. 



Cross-fertilisation takes place to a considerable extent, though 

 the greater portion of this is limited to neighbouring plants. The 

 repeatedh' observed degeneration of strains of Cotton imported for 

 acclimatisation is regarded as being due to the selective selfassertion 

 of those members of a mixed stock which are best suited to the 

 new environment. 



Notes on the opening of the flowers, the most frequent insect 

 visitors, the inheritance of colour, and the sterility of interspecific 

 crosses are also inciuded. R. H. Compton (Cambridge). 



Lock, R. H., Note on certain Seedlings of Cymbopo^on 

 raised and examined by Mr. J. F. Jowitt. (Ann. Roy. Bot. 

 Card. Peradeniya. V. pt. 3. p. 169—174. 1911.) 



Thirty seedlings raised from open-poUinated seeds ot the variety 

 Lenabatu-pengiri suggest that it is a hN^brid between Maha-pengiri 

 and Cyynhopogon confertißorus. Certain facts appear to be consistent 

 with a Mendeljan explanation, others not. 



R. H. Compton (Cambridge). 



Mac Dougal, D. T., The Inheritance of Habitat Effects by 

 Plants. (Plant World. 14. p. 53-59. March 1911.) 



The author reviews the work of Buchanan, Gager, Klebs. 

 Zeder bau er, de Vries and others on the subject of organic 

 response and he finds that the discoveries of these botanists coupled 

 with those made by himself and others in their experiments at the 

 Desert Botanic Laboratory and elsewhere lead to the conclusion 

 that structural changes and implied functional accomodations are 

 indubitably direct somatic responses, and it is suggested. that their 

 annual repetition through the centuries may have resulted in their 

 fixationand permanency. Harshberger. 



