228 M, Ch. NaudiD 07i Hyhridity in Plants, 



different species, the flowers were absolutely like those of 

 the mother (D. Stramonium) ; in Nicotiana glauco-angusti- 

 folia, and glauco-macropliylla obtained from very different 

 species, they were remarkably more like those of the mother 

 than those of the father ; whilst in N, californico-rustica. 

 and glutinoso-macrophylla they were very distinctly inter- 

 mediate between the parent species. 



The rule laid down by M. Eegel seems to me therefore 

 very hazardous, or at least founded upon insufficient data. 

 For my own part, I believe that these inequalities in re- 

 semblance, sometimes very great between the hybrid and its 

 parents, are maintained chiefly by the marked preponder- 

 ance which many species exercise in their crossings, what- 

 ever may be the part which they act (whether as male or 

 female). 



This we have seen in the hybrids of Petunia violacea and 

 P. nyctaginiflora which have a greater resemblance to the 

 first than the secand ; in Luffa acutangulo-cylindrica of 

 which the forms are far more like Luffa cylindrica than the 

 conjoined species ; and especially in Datura ceraiocaulo- 

 Stramonium and JD. Stramonio-lcevis, of which all tlie indi- 

 viduals are incomparably nearer D. Stramonium than the 

 other species, although in one case I). Stramonium fulfils 

 the function of the male, and in the other that of the 

 female. 



Commencing with the second generation, the phy- 

 siognomy of hybrids is modified in a most remarkable man- 

 ner. Very often the perfect uniformity of the first genera- 

 tion is succeeded by an extreme medley of forms, the one 

 approaching the specific type of the father, the other that of 

 the mother — sometimes returning suddenly and entirely into 

 the one or the other. At other times this recurrence to- 

 wards the generating types is performed by degrees and 

 slowly, and sometimes the whole collection of hybrids is seen 

 to incline to the same side. 



I think it is now placed beyond dispute that this dis- 

 solution of hybrid forms commences, in the great majority 

 of cases (it may be in all) in the second generation. 



