v EXPERIMENTS ON CROSSING 245 



is the fact that of the two progenitors in an intended 

 crossing the one is generally as a variety possessed 

 with stronger hereditary tendencies than the other, 

 and the result is that the progeny takes more after 

 one of the parents than after the other. For instance, 

 in the crossing of the Angus bull with the Dutch cow, 

 the progeny has more characters of the former than of 

 the latter, and among plants, according to Cornevin, 

 Vitis rupestris is said to transmit its characters very 

 markedly when crossed with other varieties. 



Such varieties or individuals display what may be 

 called predominant heredity ; by this is meant that in 

 crossing the hereditary tendencies of one parent lord 

 it over those of their mate. This is true of females 

 as well as of males ; it does not seem to belong to 

 the one sex more than to the other, and among horses 

 and oxen Eclipse and Duchess have been renowned 

 for the predominance of their own qualities over that, 

 of their mates. Among plants, instances also occur, 

 and are well known, although in many cases horticul- 

 turists vainly strive to find individuals thus endowed. 

 Many have sought to discover Ulex europaeus devoid 

 of spines, able to transmit this peculiarity to their 

 progeny this would be a very valuable conquest, as 

 Ulex europaeus is good fodder but requires to be 

 crushed so that the cattle do not injure themselves 

 but none have obtained it yet. And this is but one 



