226 ILLEGITIMATE OFFSPRING OF CHAP. V. 



even on the same plant, being rather shorter, or con- 

 siderably longer, than in the normal long-styled form; 

 and the stigmas likewise varied in shape. It is, 

 therefore, probable that an equal-styled variety of the 

 primrose might be found on careful search; and I 

 have received two accounts of plants apparently in this 

 condition. The stamens always occupied their proper 

 position low down in the corolla; and the pollen- 

 grains were of the small size proper to the long-styled 

 form, but were mingled with many minute and 

 shrivelled grains. The yellow-flowered and the purple- 

 flowered plants of this first generation were fertilised 

 under a net with their own pollen, and the seed sepa- 

 rately sown. From the former, 22 plants were raised 

 and all were yellow and long-styled. From the latter 

 or the purple-flowered plants, 24 long-styled plants 

 were raised, of which 17 were purple and 7 yellow. 

 In this last case we have an instance of reversion in 

 colour, without the possibility of any cross, to the grand- 

 parents or more distinct progenitors of the plants in 

 question. Altogether 23 plants in the first generation 

 and 46 in the second generation were raised; and the 

 whole of these 69 illegitimate plants were long-styled! 



Eight purple-flowered and two yellow-flowered plants 

 of the first illegitimate generation were fertilised in 

 various ways with their own pollen and with that of 

 the common primrose; and the seeds were separately 

 counted, but as I could detect no difference in fertility 

 between the purple and yellow varieties, the results 

 are -run together in the following table. (See opposite 

 page.) 



If we compare the figures in this table with those 

 given in the first chapter, showing the normal fertility 

 of the common primrose, we shall see that the illegiti- 

 mate purple- and yellow-flowered varieties are very 



