SHOETEE AETICLES AND DISCUSSION 



A LITERARY NOTE ON MENDEL'S LAW 



The ever-increasing extension of the doctrine of Mendelism 

 brings it year by year to the attention of a widening circle 

 of general readers. Its application in the field of eugenics has 

 aroused a popular desire for a further knowledge of the now 

 famous principles of Mendel. Owing to the relative inacces- 

 sibility of Mendel's original publication the exact terms in which 

 he formulated his conclusions have not been readily available. 

 To meet in some measure this lack of ready reference the fol- 

 lowing brief, synoptic statement of the fundamental principles 

 of Mendel is here presented in his own words, together with 

 certain collateral notes that may be of value to students of this 

 important law. 



The general term "Mendel's Law" is usually applied to sev- 

 eral complex principles discovered by Gregor Mendel while 

 studying inheritance in certain plant hybrids. Various other 

 designations, however, appear in the literature, e. g., Mendel's 

 "Law of Heredity," 1 "Law of Inheritance," 2 "Laws of Alter- 

 native Inheritance," 3 and "Law of Varietal Hybrids." 4 These 

 principles were enunciated by Mendel in a paper entitled, "Ver- 

 suche iiber Pflanzenhybriden" ("Researches on Plant Hy- 

 brids"), which appeared in the Verhandlungen der naturfor- 

 schenden Vereines in Brtinn, Vol. 4, 1865, Abliandlungen, pp. 

 3-47, 5 but escaped the attention of biologists until the year 

 1900, when by De Vries, 6 Correns 7 and von Tschermak, 8 they 



'Castle, W. E., Proceedings American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 

 Vol. 38, 1903, p. 535. 



2 Biffin, E. H., Journal Agricultural Science, Vol. 1, 1905, p. 1. 



* Weldon, W. F. R., Biometrika, Vol. 1, 1901, p. 228. 



4 De Vries, H., "Species and Varieties," Chicago, 1905, p. 716. 



6 Reprinted in Flora, Vol. 89, 1901, pp. 364-403. 



•De Vries, H., "Das Spaltungsgesetz der Bastarde," Berichte der 

 deutschen botanischen Gesellschaft, Vol. 18, 1900, pp. 83-90. 



T Correns, C, "G. Mendels Kegel iiber das Verhalten der Nachkom- 

 menschaft der Rassenbastarde, ' ' Berichte der deutschen botanischen Gesell- 

 tchaft, Vol. 18, 1900, pp. 158-168. 



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