Note 44 — EXPERIMENTS IN PLANT-HYBRIDISATION23.

[It appears to me clear that this expression is incorrectly given, and the argument regarding compound characters is consequently not legitimately developed. The original compound character should be represented as A1A2A3 . . . which when fertilised by a1 gives A1A2A3 . . . a as the hybrid of the first generation. Mendel practically tells us these were all alike, and there is nothing to suggest that they were diverse. When on self-fertilisation, they break up, they will produce the gametes he specifies; but they may also produce A1A1 and A2A2, A1A2a, &c., thereby introducing terms of a nature different from any indicated by him. That this point is one of the highest significance, both practical and theoretical, is evident at once.]