THE PUKE LINE HYPOTHESIS. 



561 



Correlation Table, Heterozygous Parents and Heterozygous 

 Offspring (i.e., those capable of producing both red and 

 non-red offspring) : 



The constants calculated from the above table are: Mean of 

 parents, 39.349 units; mean of red offspring, 40.774; standard 

 deviation of parents, 22.211; standard deviation of offspring, 

 20.772 ; co-efficient of correlation .720. Thus the co-efficient of 

 correlation is increased by only taking offspring of similar game- 

 tic nature to that of the parents. 



The main result of this investigation is to show that the so- 

 called factors of the germ-cell are variable in nature, and are thus 

 transmitted to the offspring. This would appear to be demon- 

 strated by the fact that the fluctuating variations of a character 

 are truly inherited, and obviously they can only be inherited if the 

 factors or potentialities of the germ-cell do on the average cor- 

 respond to these casual variations of the character. 



The result is at once of prime importance, since with refer- 

 ence to the method of evolution and the origin of adaptation we 

 are driven into a cul-de-sac if the pure-line hypothesis and un- 

 diluted Mendelism are to be accepted. 



Summary. 



I. Small fluctuating variations in organisms are looked upon 

 by Mendelians as resulting from the varying action of a change- 

 able environment, and such variations are supposed not to entail 



