MENDELIAN CHARACTERS 215 
pigeons, fowls, cats, and so on. In butterflies and 
other insects, and even in snails, similar phenomena 
have been described. The study of the larger domestic 
animals awaits for the present the proper endowment 
of these researches. When this takes place, the 
inheritance of far more important characters than 
colour will be adequately studied to the great profit 
of all who are concerned in the breeding industry. 
Hurst has already shown from an examination of 
the stud-book that the bay and brown colours of 
thoroughbred horses are Mendelian dominants to 
chestnut. 
Other characters of the most diverse kinds are also 
similarly inherited. We have already referred to 
structural characters in maize and in peas. Stature 
is a character which is definitely inherited in many 
plants. Among more subtle characters a similar mode 
of transmission has been found in the case of differences 
in chemical composition, and in that of immunity 
from and susceptibility to the attacks of certain 
diseases. The thrum-eyed condition of the primrose 
has been shown by Bateson and Gregory to be a 
Mendelian dominant to the pin-eyed. condition, so that 
we have here a partial solution of a problem which is 
rendered specially interesting from the fact that it 
baffled Darwin. 
A study of numerous pedigrees has enabled Bateson to 
show that there is great probability that in the case 
of the human race certain congenital diseases are simply 
transmitted from parent to offspring in accordance 
with Mendel’s law. 
