Origin of Different Kinds of Adaptations 363 



point for our present consideration is that intermediate forms 

 do not exist, although there are fluctuating variations about 

 the two types. Moreover, the two kinds of flowers never 

 appear on the same plant. 



Darwin tried the effect of fertilizing the long-styled flowers 

 with the pollen from the same flower or from other long- 

 styled flowers. Unions of this sort he calls illegitimate, for 

 reasons that will appear later. He also fertilized the long- 

 styled flowers with pollen from short-styled forms. A union 

 of this sort is called legitimate. Conversely, the short-styled 

 forms were fertilized with their own pollen or with that from 

 another short-styled form. This is also an illegitimate union. 

 Short-styled forms fertilized with pollen from long-styled forms 

 give again legitimate unions. 



The outcome of these different crossings are most curious. 

 In the table, page 364, the results of the four combinations 

 are given. It will be seen at once that the legitimate unions 

 give more capsules, and the seeds weigh more, than in the 

 illegitimate unions. 



The behavior of the offspring from seeds of legitimate and 

 illegitimate origin is even more astonishing. Darwin found 

 in Primula veris (the form just described) that the seeds from 

 the short-styled form fertilized with pollen from the same form 

 germinated so badly that he obtained only 14 plants, of which 

 9 were short-styled and 5 long-styled. The long-styled form 

 fertilized with its own-styled pollen produced "in the first gen- 

 eration 3 long-styled plants. From their seed 53 long-styled 

 grandchildren were produced; from their seed 4 long-styled 

 great-grandchildren ; from their seed 20 long-styled great- 

 great-grandchildren ; and lastly, from their seed 8 long-styled 

 and 2 short-styled great-great-great-grandchildren." 



From other long-styled plants, fertilized with their own- 

 form pollen, 72 plants were raised, which were made up of 

 68 long-styled and 4 short-styled. In all, 162 illegitimate 

 unions of this sort produced 156 long-styled and 6 short- 



