False Atavism 213 



of the crosses. And it is tlierefore easily seen, 

 that the hybrids of two varieties may resemble 

 neither of them, but revert to the species itself. 

 This is necessarily and commonly the case, 

 since it is always the older or positive charac- 

 ters that prevail in the hybrids and the 

 younger or negative that lie hidden. So for in- 

 stance, a blue dwarf larkspur, crossed with a 

 tall white variety, must give a tall blue hybrid, 

 reassuming in both characters the essentials 

 of the species. 



Keeping this rule in view, it will be easy to 

 calculate what may be expected from sponta- 

 neous crosses for a wide range of occurrences, 

 and thus to find an explanation of innumerable 

 cases of apparent variability and reversion in 

 the principle of vicinism. Students have only 

 to recollect that specific characters prevail over 

 varietal ones, and that every character com- 

 petes only with its own antagonist. Or to give 

 a sharper distinction : whiteness of flowers can- 

 not be expected to be interchanged with 

 pubescence of leaves. 



In concluding I will point out another danger 

 which in the principle of vicinism may be 

 avoided. If you see a plant in a garden with all 

 the characteristics of its species, how can you 

 be sure that it is truly a representative of the 

 species, and not a hybrid! The prevailing 



