THE 



AMERICAN NATURALIST 



Vol. XLV September, 1911 No. 53 



INHERITANCE OF THE "EYE" IN VTGNA 

 DR. W. J. SPILLMAN 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture 



Certaix races of the cowpea (Yigna unguiculata) 

 have the seed coat completely pigmented, others have 

 no pigment, while others have pigment confined to cer- 

 tain areas. In this paper the fully pigmented races are 

 referred to as having solid color, those without pig- 

 ment as white, while the pigmented area of the partially 

 pigmented seed coats is called the "eye." This eye, 

 when small, is always confined to the region of the 

 hilum, and when large always surrounds the hilum. It 

 varies widely in size and form, as shown in the accom- 

 panying illustrations, which show the principal types 

 of eye. In a the pigmented area is confined to two 

 patches on opposite sides of the hilum. In b the area 

 surrounds the hilum except at its micropylar end. 



In c the hilum is completely surrounded, but there is 

 a broad indentation at the lower end of the pigmented 

 area. In d the eye covers nearly the entire ventral 1 



