686 SEXUALITY 



mann's theory which holds that both sex potencies reside in all kinds of 

 gametes and that the sex of the gamete is simply the potency that prevails. 

 Thus the qualitative sex difference is not segregated into different gam- 

 etes and has nothing to do with copulation; all gametes have both quali- 

 tative sex characters and differ only in the quantitative manifestation of 

 one or the other. These quantitative differences alone determine copula- 

 tion and sex reactivity. Conceivably two qualitatively diverse sexes might 

 exist, one producing only cis, the other only trans dimethyl crocetin. But 

 these have not been found. The observed gamete types are all quantita- 

 tively diverse grades of intersexes, some prevailingly -|-, others prevail- 

 ingly — . Viewed in this way, the observations are in accord with part of 

 Hartmann's theory. 



3. Difficulties in Moewus's observations. There are certain difficulties 

 in Moewus's observations that raise serious questions concerning the 

 reliablity and accuracy of his reports. Two of these must be mentioned. 

 The first involves the apparently irreconcilable conflict between observa- 

 tions of the consequences of non-disjunction of the sex chromosomes in 

 crosses between C. paupera and C. etigametos and the later discoveries 

 of the sex stuffs. Moewus (1939a) reports that copulation takes place 

 between gametes of the same sex when there is at least a difference of 

 2 in valence. By definition, gametes of valence 5 would copulate with 

 gametes of valence 3, but not with gametes of valence 4; and gametes 

 of valence 6 would copulate with those of valence 4, but not with those 

 of valence 5. In a series of crosses and back crosses involving C. euga- 

 metos f. subheteroica (valence 1) in C. paupera (valence 3), Moewus 

 (as reported by Hartmann, 1934) obtained through nondisjunction of 

 the sex chromosomes clones that yielded gametes of valences 5 and 6, 

 presumably recognized as such through the breeding tests mentioned 

 above. Moewus (1939a) shows that copulation will take place only when 

 there is a difference of at least 20 percent in the cis or trans dimethyl croe- 

 tin produced. Valence 5, by definition, copulates with valence 3; but va- 

 lence 3 produces 85 percent cis or trans dimethyl crocetin. This leads to 

 the impossible conclusion that the valence 5 gametes produced 105 per- 

 cent cis or trans dimethyl crocetin. Similarly, the valence 6 gametes would 

 be required to produce 115 percent cis or trans dimethyl crocetin. This 

 apparently irreconcilable contradiction in the reports raises the serious 

 question of whether the reporting is accurate and reliable. 



