NOTES ON COLOUn INHERITANCE IN MAIZI.. 259 



of interest to inquire how far these explanations fit the facts 

 recorded in my own earher paper. I may first, however, 

 record the results of certain pollinations made by myself at 

 the beginning of the present year, which confirm the ratios 

 obtained by the American authors. 



The material used by me was a mixed strain of native maize 

 similar to that described in the second part of my earlier 

 paper. The plants upon "which seK pollination was carried 

 out were the offspring of plants which showed a number of 

 the abnormahties described by Blaringham in his Mutation 

 and Traumatismus,* and were grown mainly with the object 

 of studying the inheritance of such abnormahties. With this 

 part of the subject, however, we are not at present concerned. 

 It so happened that in January, 1912, for the first time in 

 my experience of experiments with maize in Ceylon, almost 

 perfect chmatic conditions synchronized with the flowering 

 of a considerable number of plants, and a large number of 

 self-pollinations were effected. 



The method adopted for ensuring seK -pollination consisted 

 in covering both tassel and young cobs with parchment paper 

 bags prior to the opening of the flowers and appearance of the 

 silks. The pollen was poured from the bag covering the 

 tassel into the bag covermg the silks, the latter being then 

 immediately reclosed. The accuracy of the method was 

 tested as follows. In the main plot, which included numerous 

 plants derived from purple grains, there were also included 

 certain rows of plants derived from non-purple strains. Twelve 

 cobs were obtained by self-fertihzation of such plants, bearing 

 from 100 to 600 grains each. On each of two such cobs a 

 single purple grain made its appearance, whilst on the remain- 

 ing ten cobs no grain showed any trace of purple colouration. 

 Uncovered cobs of the same parentage showed numerous 

 purple grains. The substantial accuracy of the method may 

 therefore be assumed. 



The annexed table shows the result of 21 pollinations, from 

 each of which over 100 ripe grains were obtained, including in 

 each case a considerable number which showed the purple 

 colouration. With two exceptions the plants recorded were 



* 1907. 



