THE STRUCTURE OF CERTAIN NEW HYBRIDS. 175 
previously examined by others, were absolutely seedless, a few minute 
scales at best being present in place of seeds. 
During the present summer (1899) I endeavoured to fertilise the 
flowers of my hybrids, using a variety of pollen as follows: 44 flowers 
received pollen from the Gooseberry (7 different kinds); 19 from the 
Black Currant, and 16 from Ribes divaricatum. Further, in 7 cases, 
pollen (such as it was) was taken from other flowers of the same hybrid, 
and in five cases it was taken from one hybrid to the other. As an out- 
come of the 72 attempts enumerated, one berry has been secured, and it 
has been due to the application of the pollen of R. divaricatum. 
This fruit ripened and fell, when lightly shaken, fifteen weeks after 
fertilisation. It was 43, in. in length, of oval outline, but asymmetrical; 
the remains of the perianth forming an appendage } in. long ; the skin 
red like a red Gooseberry, sparsely clothed with very fine white hairs, 
amongst which occurred 20 to 30 stalked glands. The latter could be 
readily seen with a lens magnifying a few diameters, and were just visible 
to the naked eye when placed against a suitable background. The pulp 
was palatable. No seeds were present. 
This remarkable result naturally leads to the suggestion that as a 
practical matter certain species or varieties of ibes might with advantage 
be planted in the vicinity of the hybrids, so as to help in the setting of 
fruit. 
It should be remembered that my two flower-bearing plants have not 
been propagated. Itisnot improbable that cuttings might have a stronger 
tendency to fruit. Budding on other kinds of Ribes, or even transplanta- 
tion into other soil, might have the desired effect. 
An examination of the ovules of my hybrids, and of Mr. Culverwell’s 
also, by hand sections, did not disclose any abnormal features; but 
further investigation, including the styles as well as the ovaries, is needed 
before a satisfactory explanation of the partial or complete sterility can 
be attempted. 
It is evident from information most obligingly supplied me by Mr. 
Burnett, and from examination of material sent, that his hybrids bear a 
very close general resemblance to mine in all respects. I found, how- 
ever, that the younger leaves studied bear a far greater number of 
minute, colourless, very short-stalked glands than do any of the plants 
above described. They are dotted over the whole under side of the leaf 
blade, to all appearance almost, if not quite, as thickly as the sessile 
yellow glands are in the Black Currant. They appear as minute white 
dots under the hand lens, and are rather less than half the average 
diameter of the Black Currant glands. 
In the flowers studied the pedicel, ovary, and calycine cup are virtually 
glabrous, only a very few minute hairs being present. Minute almost 
sessile colourless glands like those in the hybrids already described, and 
‘08 mm. in diameter, occur on the ovary. They are so few as to be easily 
overlooked altogether. One was observed to have a very little red 
coloration. The petals are wider than in my plants, and overlap con- 
siderably. The style rises from a distinctly arched base. The hairs on 
the style and in the throat of the flower resemble those in my hybrids, 
and the stigma projects some distance, as in one of my plants (B). The 
