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case. After enumerating various causes bearing upon the pro- 

 duction of hybrids, the journalist remarks, from all these cir- 

 cumstances it is clear that spontaneous hybrids (and that is the 

 main question for botanists to consider) must be rare, yet dim- 

 mer (page 46 of his work) states it as his conviction "multas 

 hybridas salices sponte sua nasoi," which I suppose we may call 

 natural hybrids. So that whether spontaneous hybrids are to be 

 regarded as rare or frequent would seem doubtful. We come 

 now to general considerations. After first very briefly stating 

 Mr. Darwin's theory of the origin of species, "Wichura makes 

 some remarks upon hybrids in general. Perhaps in every male 

 (hybrid I presume) there is some weak point, however strong it 

 may be in other particulars. The hybrid, then, comes with no 

 new peculiarities into the world : it has these of its parents, and 

 generally in less complete degree, so, it is added, the hybrid can 

 never be perfectly accommodated to outward circumstances. 

 From this it would seem to follow that in the struggle with those 

 that are so accommodated the hybrid can have little chance of 

 permanence. 



An important observation (as has been before remarked) is 

 that the products arising from reciprocal crossing in plants, un- 

 like those formed amongst animals, are perfectly alike. It is of 

 no consequence which is the male and which the female parent. 

 It is, therefore, certain that the pollen cells must have the same 

 part in the act of generation as the ovules. It is said that ir- 

 regularity of pollen in cultivated plants favours variability, and 

 that "if gardeners, in the raising of new varieties, would have 

 recourse to the microscope, and let those individuals remain for 

 seed which have the most irregular pollen, or if they would use 

 the most irregular pollen in artificial impregnation, they would, 

 in all probability, materially expedite the accomplishment of 

 their wishes." Mr. Berkeley observes, in conclusion, that this 

 remarkable position results that imperfect accommodation, gives 

 to an organism an increased tendency to form varieties. But the 

 question for us (not as gardeners but as botanists) is, does the 

 same law prevail in nature ? Organisms which at any former 



