38U 
(i. DEBAISIEUX. 
little masses which are in the concavity of the four antei’ior 
epaulettes, and it is scattered in little grains in the arms and 
along the ciliated band. In the hybrid larv* it is not to be 
loijnd in any of these places. One might suppose that the 
disappearance of the green pigment is due to degeneration or 
to a weakness of the hybrids. In fact it is noticeable that 
the pigment diminishes considerably in the larvge of E. 
Ill ilia.ris when in a weak state, as, for instance, when they are 
hungry. This supposition cannot be maintained if one 
considers (1) that the green pigment never completely disap- 
pears in the pure larvae, (2) that this diminution is accom- 
panied by the diminution of the red pigment. Now in 
hybrids green pigment is always entirely absent and the 
quantity of red pigment is not lessened ; rather the contrary. 
d'o sum up and to explain these results it seems necessary 
to look at the question from another point of view than that 
which is customary. 
In these experiments of crossing amongst Echinus 
miliar is, esculent us, and acutus, there is not exclusively 
maternal or paternal heredity; one might say that the hybrids 
inherit simultaneously from the paternal and the maternal 
influence; but this formula does not express all the results 
obtained, for there is no mention of the fact that certain char- 
acters are always absent or always present in all hybrids, and 
that the paternal or maternal origin of the characters does not 
influence their transmission to descendants. 
But if we view the question as Tenneut (’10) has done, and 
especially as Loeb, King and Moore (’10) have done, the solu- 
tion seems to be much more adequate. Certain characters 
are dominant, others are recessive. In the experiments 
which we are discussing, the dominant characters are the 
presence of posterior epaulettes and of posterior pedicellaria. 
They are alwa^’s transmitted to the descendants, either 
through the father or through the mother ; the green 
pigment is a recessive character. Its appearance is always 
prevented, either by the maternal, or by the paternal 
influence. 
