MENDEL'S LIFE AND WORK 19 



of elucidating the constitution of the hybrids by 

 observations on their progeny at a very early date. 

 It is quite clear at any rate that when he commenced 

 his great series of experiments with peas (1856 or 

 1857) he must have clearly recognised the importance 

 of extended investigation of the progeny of the 

 hybrids. This series of experiments with peas un- 

 doubtedly constitutes Mendel's chief claim to fame. 

 It extended over a period of no less than eight years 

 and involved careful records of more than 10,000 

 individual plants. As Mendel himself says, it required 

 some courage to undertake a labour of such far- 

 reaching extent. Nevertheless, he not only brought 

 this particular piece of work to a successful termina- 

 tion, but he was, as we learn from incidental references 

 in his most important paper, " Versuche liber 

 Pflanzenhybriden " (read 1865, published 1866-) and 

 from his letters to Niigeli, at the same time experi- 

 menting in a similar way with many other kinds of 

 plants — Phaseolus, Verbascum, Campanula, Lathy r us ^ 

 Diantlius, &c. 



More remarkable still, and this is a fact which is 

 not often associated with Mendel, who is usually 

 regarded as a botanist pure and simple, he was 

 also conducting at this time an investigation on 

 heredity in bees. It is said that he had fifty hive& 

 under observation and that he effected crosses 

 between various European, Egyptian, and American 

 races. Nothing, however, was published about his 

 results in this connectio n, and unfortunately no 



* In Verhandlungen des Naturforschenden Vereines in Briinn. Band IV . 



