232 PHYSICAL BASIS OF HEEEDITY 



reciprocal showed neitlier a great predominance of the 

 characters of the paternal race, nor of the maternal race, 

 but rather certain characteristic features of purpuratus 

 and others of Franciscanus. The larval characters 

 appeared to be dominant or recessive taken singly. Until 

 an 2^2 generation can be raised it is obviously hazardous 

 to speak here of Mendelian dominance and recessiveness 

 of characters that are based on F^ observations alone, 

 especially since it is becoming more and more apparent 

 that many F^ characters are more or less intermediate, 

 and there are no general grounds for expecting pure domi- 

 nance or recessiveness. 



Many crosses have been made between different species 

 of fish, and in some of these the young, at the time of hatch- 

 ing, are maternal. It has generally been supposed that 

 such cases are due to the absorption of the paternal chro- 

 mosomes at the first or at later cleavage stages. Loss of 

 chromosomes has in fact been recorded in several of these 

 oases of maternal inheritance. On the other hand. Miss 

 Finney's observations, summarized in the following table, 



Cross Development Results Chromosomal Behavior 



Otenolabrus 9 X FunduluS cf Development cases Early mitotic behavior 



during gastrulation. is prevailingly nor- 

 mal. 

 Ctenolabrus 9 X Stenoto- 



mus c? Many hatching em- Early mitoses are nor- 



bryos of the mater- mal. 

 nal type. 

 Otenolabrus 9 X Menidia cf Advanced development. Early mitoses are nor- 

 mal. 

 Ctenolabrus cT X Fundulus 9 One hatching embryo Abnormal nuclear be- 



reported. Many ad- hayior occurs, 

 vanced embryos — 

 maternal type. 

 Ctenolabrus ^ X Stenoto- 



mu9 6 Development ceases Abnormal mitosis pre- 



during gastrulation. dominant. 

 Ctenolabrus cf X Menidia 9 Two hatching embryos Abnormal mitosis is of 



reported. Maternal frequent occurrence, 

 type. 



show that the maternal type may appear not only when the 

 early mitoses are abnormal, but in one case at least when 

 they are normal. It is quite possible, therefore, that while 



