HYBRIDISING OF MONSTROSITIES. ' 75 
in both years as solitary specimens, perhaps through chance introduction 
of seed. On the other hand, I did not succeed in reducing the number of 
white-flowering plants to any marked extent : it remained about 6 per cent. 
If the white-flowering plants be isolated, it is found that they are fully 
constant. I fertilised them in 1898 in the first hybrid generation, when 
they were all hairy. The hairiness was inherited, as in the red- 
flowered plants, in three-fourths of the individuals, but the white colour in 
nearly every individual. I fertilised the hairless white-flowered plants with 
pollen from same type, and could now, according to the experience given 
above, rely upon having the seed of an almost completely true and suffi- 
ciently constant new form, Lychnis diurna glabra alba. 
It is to be remarked that Sekera mentioned that his Lychnis Presliz 
produced no white-flowered examples. 
As regards monstrosities, it appeared that split leaves and twisting were 
inherited in this race. 
To summarise the progress of our experiments, it may be stated that 
the fertilisation of Lychnis diurna by L. vespertina glabra succeeded 
easily. The hybrids of the first generation were, with the exception 
of the colour of the flowers, alike; they were all hairy, only in a less 
degree than the mother plants, but otherwise very like it. In the second 
generation they broke into the most varied combinations and mixtures, 
among which hairless plants of the Lycinis diurna type were easily 
found, both red-flowered and white-flowered. ‘These proved themselves 
both fully constant from the very moment of their first appearance, 
especially in regard to their smoothness, and remained so during all the 
succeeding generations. Only the red-flowered seed always yielded about 
6 per cent. of white-flowered plants. 
The artificial production of Lychnis diurna glabra, which, with the 
exception of constancy of the flower colour, seems to be identical with 
L. Preslii of Sekera, may therefore be regarded as entirely performed in 
the course of nearly four years. 
