sport in Melasoma and its Behavior in Heredity 225 



In the first matings of AB xAB, the male parent was of S par- 

 entage, the female of B parentage. Five broods were obtained 

 from this mating, a total of 130 individuals. Of these JJ indi- 

 viduals were similar to the immediate parents, that is, were AB 

 in character, and 42 individuals were similar to the grandparents 

 on the female side, that is, were B in character. In eleven indi- 

 viduals the wing covers were black, while the character of the 

 thorax was a mosaic of the thorax of AB and B (Plate, Fig. 4); 

 that is, the emarginate area was in part black and in part red. 

 The black blotch upon the red might be in any position, covering 

 the anterior half, the posterior half or the median two-thirds, as 

 indicated in the figure. We find here, therefore, a series of 

 variations arising in the progeny of a mating between two similar 

 sports or aberrant variations, so that if the latter had not arisen, 

 first, it would have been considered but an "extreme variation" 

 in a series. No such mosaic was observed in field collections. 

 There was no recurrence of the "S" type. The sport or parent 

 character predominates somewhat in the offspring over the B 

 type (1.8: I). 



The mosaic type appears to be a heterozygous form as in mat- 

 ings of this type (I) the offspring always revert to the AB or B 

 type with only an occasional I individual. 



With the 77 AB, the 42 B, and the ill individuals thus obtained, 

 six categories of matings were made as shown in the following 

 diagrams. These diagrams show the pedigree for three genera- 

 tions and the character of the brood produced in each. 



DIAGRAM I — Mating Category a 



First Matings S X S B x B 



First Generation S, B and aB sport B and AB sport 



Second Generation AB, B and I (7:3.3:1) 



Third Generation AB AB and B (12:1) AB and I (6.9: 1 ) AB, B and I. 



