i82 Plant Penetics 



graduated scale based on relative water, fat, and phos- 

 phorous content. The egg may be at any point on the 

 scale, and the sex of the individual produced by the 

 egg will depend upon its position on the scale. An 

 egg in any position to the left of the middle results in a 

 male and to the right in a female. It should be noted, 

 however, that if the egg is near one of the extremes the 

 progeny will be either a very masculine male or a very 

 feminine female; while if the egg hes near the middle 

 point, on one side or the other, the progeny will be a 



Fig. 40. — Illustrating Rtodle's idea of sex. Sexes differ only 

 quantitatively, and it is possible to find various degrees of maleness 

 and femaleness at different points along the scale. 



male with some female characteristics or a female with 

 some male characteristics; in other words, a feminine 

 male or a masculine female. In fact, Riddle is actually 

 able to bring this about, obtaining at will males with all 

 degrees of maleness, etc. He even suggested at one 

 time that when we learn more about this method of sex 

 control we might be able to eUminate from human 

 society such undesirables as the effeminate man or the 

 masculine woman. 



There are three possible conclusions in reference to 

 these contradictory theories: (i) an acceptance of the 

 one and rejection of the other; (2) the claim that both 

 amount to the same thing, that is, that they express the 



