i6o THE OLDER HYBRIDISTS 



character of one species (A), whilst others will bear 

 no potential resemblance to A, but will be precisely 

 similar in nature to the ovules and pollen grains of 

 the pure species B. In cases where this separation of 

 the materials representing the two types in a potential 

 condition is complete, forms exactly resembling the 

 parents might be obtained. As we shall see, this 

 hypothesis makes a remarkably near approach to that 

 of Mendel ; and the importance of the fact that the 

 first hybrid generation is generally uniform, as con- 

 trasted with the diversity of types often appearing 

 in the second generation, is clearly recognised by 

 Naudin. This observer considered the hybrid in the 

 adult state to consist of an aggregate of particles, 

 homogeneous and characteristic of a single species 

 when taken separately, but mingled in various pro- 

 portions in the organs of the hybrid, which is thus 

 looked upon as a kind of living mosaic. 



The only other discovery of first-class importance,* 

 in addition to that of Mendel, made during the nine- 

 teenth century in the domain of hybridization, was 

 that published by Millardet in 1894. 



Millardet's principal experiments were made upon 

 strawberries, of which plants he crossed together a 

 number of different species and varieties. Contrary 

 to what had been observed in the majority of such 

 crosses between other species of plants, in which the 

 offspring was usually more or less intermediate be- 

 tween the two parents from which it arose, Millardet 



* That is to say, if it is really genuine. The phenomena 

 do not appear to have been seen by anyone else. 



