244 MR. THWAITES ON HYBRIDISM. t [BOOK n. 



plant indicates a quality of the contents of this embryonic 

 cell of a character combining that of the endochrome of each 

 of the two parents. A few facts will best illustrate the 

 meaning of the foregoing observations. The ovules of Fuchsia 

 coccinea fertilised with the pollen of Fuchsia fulgens produce 

 plants of every intermediate form between these two species 

 some of the seedling plants closely resembling one, and 

 others the other species, but the majority partaking equally 

 of the characters of the two parents : scarcely, however, will 

 any two be found so much alike as to be undistinguishable 

 from each other. With respect to each of the hybrid seed- 

 lings, separately considered, there is a uniformity throughout 

 in the mixed character of its various parts ; so that it is easy 

 from the examination of the foliage to arrive at a tolerably 

 correct idea of what will be the character of the blossom. 

 Some persons perhaps will be disposed to believe that an 

 endochrome may be modified in its character, that the pecu- 

 liarities of the hybrid plant may be produced by the situation 

 in which it is at first developed ; but if this were the fact, 

 it is clear that the hybrid seedlings ought all to resemble 

 each other as much as do individuals of one species, which is 

 far from the truth, as has been just now stated. Moreover, 

 a fact came under the observation of the writer which 

 completely sets aside the idea of such an explanation of the 

 phenomena, for in one example of the hybrid Fuchsia seed- 

 lings the singular circumstance occurred of one seed producing 

 two plants extremely different in appearance and character ; 

 one of them partaking rather of the character of Fuchsia 

 fulgens and the other of Fuchsia coccinea. It cannot be 

 doubted that these very dissimilar structures were the produce 

 of one seed, since they were closely coherent, below the two 

 pairs of cotyledon leaves, into a single cylindrical stem, so 

 that they had subsequently the appearance of being branches 

 of one trunk. The plant was unfortunately, before flowering, 

 killed by an unexpected severe frost, but not before its 

 peculiarity had been observed by many persons besides the 

 writer. In the case just cited the idea of a modification of 

 structure caused by mere circumstance of situation in the 

 early stage of growth is quite untenable ; for were such the 



