of Variation in the Corolla of Veronica Buxbamnii. 83 



The most noticeable characteristic of this Race is the high 

 average percentage of flowers with 2 posterior petals. It will be 

 seen that this percentage is exceedingly variable. In the first 

 sowing there are some high percentages of 3-petalled flowers on 

 certain plants, especially of the families C and D. It is of course 

 possible that these w T ere fertilised by pollen from other plants, but 

 in the family A 5 A there are also a few such plants. In subsequent 

 generations of the Race the decline in 3-petalled flowers is rather 

 striking and we have no indication of the reason for this. 



If the 1st generation stood alone it would seem that the per- 

 centage of abnormality was greatest in the offspring of abnormal 

 flowers. Subsequent generations nevertheless are quite at variance 

 with such a result. 



Race II. The seed was taken from the capsule of a flower of 

 unknown form on a plant in the same locality as the parent of 

 Race I. The Race is remarkable for a high percentage both of 

 2 posterior-petalled flowers and also 3-petalled flowers. It will be 

 noticed that in the 2nd generation the percentage of 2 posterior- 

 petalled flowers happens to be highest in a family the offspring of 

 a normal flower. 



Race III. In the summer of 1893 a plant was observed 

 groAving wild in the Botanic Garden which bore an unusual 

 number of 3-petalled flowers. A capsule which had not been in 

 any way protected from cross-fertilisation was gathered, and the 

 seeds produced 4 plants. The contrast between these and Races 

 I. and II. is very marked. The form with 2 posterior petals is 

 here extraordinarily scarce, while the flowers with 3 petals are in 

 the high proportion of 4 per cent. The next generation of the 

 Race maintained the same characteristics. From this Race alone 

 it might be inferred that an abundance of the 3-petalled form 

 is not compatible with a considerable number of flowers having 

 2 posterior petals, but several plants in the other Races shew that 

 this is not the case {e.g. Race II. A ± and AjAa). 



