(261) 
OBSEEVATIONS ON THE INHERITANCE OF CHARACTERS 
IN ZEA MAYS Linn. 
By J. Burtt-Davy, F.E.S.S.Af., F.L.S., F.R.G.S. 
(Read May 17, 1911.) 
I. 
SEGREGATION OF TWO PAIRS OF CHARACTERS IN A CROSS-BRED 
MAIZE EAR. 
The following statistical study of ear number 1157 has been made this 
season in the course of an investigation into the inheritance of characters 
in the maize plant [Zea mays). This ear was grown from a red flint grain 
of ear 1027 ; it has 12 rows of grain, which is red, white, or yellow in 
colour, and of the flint and sugar types. It was hand pollinated with pollen 
from other red-grain plants grown from ear 1027. The white grains are 
of a clear, pure white, without the least tendency to shade into red. 
The following is a summary of the number of grains of each type in 
each row : — 
Table 1. 
Table 2. 
Row. 
Red. 
White. 
Total. 
Flint 
Sugar. 
Total. 
1 
22 
9 
31 
22 
9 
31 
2 
26 
7 
33 
22 
11 
33 
3 
26 
6 
32 
21 
11 
32 
4 
21 
10 
31 
26 
5 
31 
5 
20 
12 
32 
24 
8 
32 
6 
23 
8 
31 
23 
8 
31 
7 
25 
7 
32 
23 
9 
32 
8 
19 
11 
30 
23 
7 
30 
9 
21 
8 
29 
21 
8 
29 
10 
24 
7 
31 
23 
8 
31 
11 
26 
4 
30 
23 
7 
30 
12 
21 
10 
31 
24 
7 
31 
Total ... 
274 
99 
373 
275 
98 
373 
Average ) 
23 
8-25 
31 
23 
8 
31 
per row [ 
Per cent. 73-45 
26-55 
73-73 
26-27 
Table 3. 
Red White Red White 
Flint. Flint. Sugar. Sugar. Total. 
15 
16 
18 
17 
16 
19 
19 
14 
14 
18 
19 
37 
31 
33 
32 
31 
32 
31 
32 
30 
29 
31 
30 
31 
202 73 72 26 373 
17 6 6 2 31 
54-16 19-57 19-30 6-97 - 
