224 HYBRIDISM. [HAP. IX. 



examining the flowers of the more sterile kinds of hybri Rhodo- 

 dendrons, which produce no pollen, for he will find on their 

 stigmas plenty of pollen brought from other flowers. 



In regard to animals, much fewer experiments have ben care- 

 fully tried than with plants. If our systematic arrangements can 

 be trusted, that is, if the genera of animals are as distact from 

 each other as are the genera of plants, then we may ifer that 

 animals more widely distinct in the scale of nature can b crossed 

 more easily than in the case of plants ; but the hybrids tlemselves 

 are, I think, more sterile. It should, however, be borne in mind 

 that, owing to few animals breeding freely under corinement, 

 few experiments have been fairly tried : for instance, tb canary- 

 bird has been crossed with nine distinct species of finchs, but, as 

 not one of these breeds freely in confinement, we have n> right to 

 expect that the first crosses between them and the canay, or that 

 then- hybrids, should be perfectly fertile. Again, with % espect to 

 the fertility in successive generations of the more fertle hybrid 

 animals, I hardly know of an instance in which two kmilies of 

 the same hybrid have been raised at the same time fron different 

 parents, so as to avoid the ill effects of close interbreeding On the 

 contrary, brothers and sisters have usually been crossed in each 

 successive generation, in opposition to the constantly repeated 

 admonition of every breeder. And in this case, it is not at all 

 surprising that the inherent sterility in the hybrids slould have 

 gone on increasing. 



Although I know of hardly any thoroughly well-authenticated 

 cases of perfectly fertile hybrid animals, I have reasor. to believe 

 that the hybrids from Cervulus vaginalis and ReevesL, and from 

 Phasianus colchicus with P. torquatus, are perfectly fertile. M. 

 Quatrefages states that the hybrids from two moths (Bombyx 

 cynthia and arrindia) were proved in Paris to be fertile inter se 

 for eight generations. It has lately been asserted that two such 

 distinct species as the hare and rabbit, when they can be got to 

 breed together, produce offspring, which are highly fertile when 

 crossed with one of the parent-species. The hybrids from the 

 common and Chinese geese (A. cygnoides), species which are so 

 different that they are generally ranked in distinct ienera, have 

 often bred in this country with either pure parent, 'and in one 

 single instance they have bred inter se. This was effected by Mr. 

 Eyton, who raised two hybrids from the same parents, but from 

 different hatches ; and from these two birds he raised no less than 

 eight hybrids (grandchildren of the pure geese) from one nest. In 

 India, however, these cross-bred geese must be far more fertile ; 

 for I am assured by two eminently capable judges, namely Mr. 

 Blyth and Capt. Hutton, that whole flocks of these crossed geese 

 are kept in various parts of the country ; and as they are kept for 



