232 Harslibcrgcr — A Study of the Fertile Hybrids 



itself under adverse conditions it reverted to Zca canina^ that 

 is, the same plant had a wild and a cultivated state." 



Some time elapsed after the receipt of the above letter, 

 when one was addressed to Professor Segura, who replied in 

 Spanish under date of July 2, 1896 : 



" In reply to your letter the manifest which I sent you with 

 the bags of the seeds explained, that one bag contained seeds 

 of asese {EiicJUcena mexicand), another, seeds obtained by 

 hybridizing Etichleena mexicana with common maize. In 

 consequence, that which you term Zea canina Watson is not 

 distinct, but a hybrid of asese and maize. To obtain this 

 product, which is known in Guanajuato as ' maiz de coyote,' 

 you must sow three grains of Euchlcsna, and at a distance to 

 prevent crowding of the plants, three kernels of maize. As a 

 result of this sowing in the month of July, the teosinte 

 commences to form its floral peduncles, which should be cut 

 off immediately after it appears [emasculation] . In August 

 when Indian corn flowers, the teosinte is polHnated with pollen 

 of corn.^ The resulting kernels do not show any modifica- 

 tion of their form. The succeeding year upon sowing these 

 kernels, a plant of early habit will result showing in the 

 small sized ears, qualities produced by the blending of common 

 maize and teosinte." 



Later, on visiting Mexico in the summer of 1 896, the writer 

 procured plants and ears of Eiicldeena and the hybrids, and 

 Professor Segura very kindly gave him permission to publish 

 the results of the inquiry, using in addition the information 

 which he was so generous as to put at the writer's disposal. 

 It might be stated, before passing to a consideration of the 



1 It should be noticed here that the two plants are monoecious and protandrous ; 

 the order of flowering at Mexico is as follows according to Professor Segura : 

 male flowers of teosinte, then female flowers of that plant and male flowers of 

 corn produced synchronously, then female flowers of maize, so that the physio- 

 logical adjustments of both plants preclude the use of pollen of EuchlcEua in the 

 fertilization of maize. 



