[27 
iine-spotted phase it is apparent that pair No. 12 were the 
nearest approach to a pure race of their kind achieved during 
the course of the experiments, as their offspring, thirteen in 
number, were all nine-spotted, and we already know that the 
Hawaiian beetles are at least presumptively of pure normal 
stock. ‘The offspring of this interesting pair were seven nine- 
spotted and eight normal beetles. 
There is thus no evidence to show that either the normal 
or the nine-spotted phase is dominant over the other in heredity, 
and the results of the various matings are not easily inter- 
preted according to Mendelian laws. It is apparent, however, 
that the normal phase is considerably more stable than the 
nine-spotted form, as would be naturally expected from its 
much greater abundance. That the nine-spotted phase is able 
to maintain itself when it is both less stable and much less 
numerous than the normal phase is quite likely due to some 
other factor of heredity intervening which has not been con- 
sidered as yet. Otherwise, it would seem inevitable that the 
nine-spotted phase would be finally swamped and eliminated. 
HEREDITY OF THE BLACK PHASE. 
The black phase was not represented in the original lot of 
beetles that reached Honolulu alive, but two specimens appeared 
about September lst in the first generation of offspring emerg- 
ing in the jar in which the mixed lot of nine-spotted and nor- 
mal beetles were kept. These were left in the breeding jar for 
a few days after reaching sexual maturity, and mated indis- 
criminately with each other and the other beetles. On Sep- 
tember 12 one of- the black beetles was removed and isolated 
in a vial as female No. 5, and for a mate was given a normal 
male of Hawaiian stock. But the fact that this female had 
mated previously with both the black and nine-spotted phases 
was apparent from the character of its offspring, as 3 black, 
3 nine-spotted, and 16 normal beetles were reared from its 
eggs. Subsequently the offspring of female No. 5 were bred 
through five generations, and the black phase was found to be 
recessive to both the normal and nine-spotted forms and recur- 
ning in alternate generations in true Mendelian proportions. 
