ed with pollen of the purplish violet, or normal form, the average in this being 25 seeds per capsule; then follows the unions with pollen of the white variety, the average of seeds being in these 21 seeds per capsule; and lastly in the unions with the variety with rosecoloured flowers, the fertility of V. lychnitis, lutea, is reduced to the low average of 18 seeds per capsule. Thus judging by the degrees of fertility, we clearly see that the natural functional co-relations of these plants in place of being regulated by their respective colour affinities, arrange themselves in an entirely independent and opposite scale; the extremes in the scale of colour given, viz., the purplishviolet with yellow, manifesting the nearest functional co-relation. Again as a further complication we find that the white and yellow unions, -the most closely allied of the colours mentioned,-hold a medial position between the purplish violet and rose. How obviously futile. then, we may well remark, would our á priori conclusions have been, as to the degrees of fertility of the above unions, on a presumed coordination between colour and function in the phenomena of hybridism!

It would thus appear from the results given in the foregoing tables that in the hybridisation of varieties of distinct species characterised by differences of colour alone, no definite relations whatever can be observed between the affinities of colour, and the degrees of fertility, but that in these cases as in the reciprocal hybridisation of pure species, the relative fecundity is a most variable and unpredicable quantum. This view seems to me to be further supported by the results of my experiments on the reciprocal hybridisation of the dimorphic species of Primulæ in which I showed that the laws of dimorphism were limited in their action to the unions of the two forms of a species; the heteromorphic and homomorphic unions of distinct species proving irregularly the more fertile. From considering the important functional co-relations of the two forms of dimorphic species, and their trifling morphological characteristics, together with the specifically limited extent of their operations, we have less reason to be surprised, if a similarly limited relationship should ultimately prove to regulate the degree of fertility of those unions of differently coloured varieties. of a species as in Verbascum and analogous cases. Indeed, judging

*Linn. Soc. Jour. Vol. 8, p. 78.

from my previous remarks on the co-relations between the degree of fertility and affinity of colour in the crossing of varieties of a species, together with the results of the hybridising differently coloured varieties of distinct species, this law seems clearly indicated, that the relative degree of fertility of the cross unions between the differently coloured varieties of certain species is inversely proportionate to the less or more mediate colour affinities of these unions. Further that this law does not extend to, or regulate the hybrid unions of differ ently coloured varieties of distinct species, but is strictly limited in its operations to those unions of varieties of a single species. Such at least is the conclusion which my own experiments would induce me to hold, but seeing that they are so directly opposed to the results of Gärtner's large experience, I would rather avoid at present any thing like definite or positive conclusions, until subsequent experi ment affords us a crucial array of data.

In conclusion, I will now by a cursory retrospect of the above details, re-state a few of the more important points, which elucidate the mooted relations between the phenomena of the hybridisation of a species and the mongrelism of the varieties of a species. First then in hybridism we see on the calculation of V. lychnitis yielding with its own pollen 100 seeds, it yields upon fertilisation with pollen of V. nigrum 80 seeds, by the pollen of V. virgatum 58 seeds, by that of V. phoeniceum 66 seeds and by that of V. thapsiforme 46 seeds. In the unions of varieties of a species, with these of other species we find differences in the sexual powers, so that the pollen of the one variety of a species is less potent than that of the other on the stigmas of the same variety of another species. Thus V. lychnitis fertilised by the pollen of V. blattaria, lutea, yields 51 seeds, by that of V. blattaria, alba, 56 seeds, and again by pollen of V. thapsus, lutea, V. lychnitis yields 46 seeds, by that of V. thapsus, alba, 39 seeds, relatively in each case to the 100 seeds produced by its own pollen. Again we have evidence also of reciprocal differentiation in the relative sexual powers of varieties of a species, and those of other species. Thus in the case mentioned above of V. blattaria, the pollen of variety alba is more potent on the stigma of V. lychnitis than that of variety lutea, whereas in the converse unions of these forms, we find that the pollen of V.

lychnitis is more potent on the stigmas of V. blattaria, lutea, than that on those of the variety alba, in the proportion of 40 to 26.

Secondly, in mongrelism, we also find variabilities in the relative sexual powers of varieties of a species, by differences in the degrees of fertility resulting from their simple and reciprocal unions. Thus on the calculation of V. phoeniceum, yielding 100 seeds by fertilisation by its own pollen, it yields with that of the variety rosea 68 seeds, and by that of the variety alba, 56 seeds, or nearly as 5 to 3. In the reciprocal unions of these varieties, we also find variabilities in their converse sexual powers. For example, in the reciprocal unions of V. phoeniceum and varieties, the potency of the pollen of rosca relatively to that of alba on the stigmas of the normal form is nearly as 5 to 4; whereas the pollen of the latter on the stigmas of rosea and alba is as 4 to 3. This difference in the reciprocal sexual powers of varieties when crossed is so regulated however by colour affinities, that unlike the irregular and indefinite results of the reciprocal unions of varieties of distinct species, judging by my own experience, we see that the pollen of rosea is more potent on the stigmas of the normal form than these of alba and so conversely, the pollen of the normal form is more potent on the stigmas of rosea than on those of alba. In those cases, however, in which colour differences do not come into play the pollen of one variety, relatively to that of another variety of the same species is so differentiated with respect to their reciprocal stigmatic relations that the grade of fertility of the pure unions of these varieties does not at all correspond with that of the cross unions. For example, in the pure unions of varieties lutea and alba of V. blattaria, the fertility of the latter exceeds that of the former in about the proportions of 12 to 11; whereas in their converse unions, lutea exceeds alba in the higher proportions of 6 to 5! Thus in the inter-crossing of varieties of a species, as in the inter-crossing of varieties of distinct species, there are converse variabilities in the reciprocal sexual powers of their respective elements.

As the facts stand then, it appears to me that in the first crosses of the varieties of certain species, as in the first hybrid crosses of distinct species, a variable degree of sterilisation results, and again, that the relative sterilising influence is as highly intensified in the crossing of undoubted varieties of certain species, as it is in the hybridising of

several undoubtedly distinct species. There is also a parallelism between the results of reciprocal hybridisation of varieties of distinct species, on the one hand with those of the reciprocal inter-crossing of varieties of a single species on the other. The sole difference in the two lines at least is merely as to the degree of extension; species relative to species occupying a higher point in the divergingly extended line, than do the varieties of a species relatively to each other, and accordingly yielding in general more intensified results, harmoniously testifying to the truth of Mr. Darwin's remark that sterility is simply a superinduced quality due to incidental differences in the reproductive system....As in the varieties of a species, however, we find that the relative amount of physiological divergence, as judged by the fertility of their reciprocal conjunctions,-is by no means regularly or definitely co-ordinated with their morphological; so in the hybridisation of the different species of a genus, the most distinct morphologically are often found to be most nearly allied in their physiological characteristics, and thus there being no necessary co-ordination of these characteristics we can readily understand how the sterility of the first crosses of varieties of a species may, and occasionally does, exceed that of well-marked and undoubtedly distinct species.

Contributions towards a history of PANOLIA ELDI; McLelland.

By Captain R. C. Beavan, C. M. Z. S. &c.

The published accounts of this comparatively rare species of deer are scattered through back numbers of various scientific periodicals and proceedings of Societies, some of which are out of print, and not easily procured. I have therefore brought together nearly all that has been previously written on the subject, and added much information on the manners and habits of the species procured during a recent visit to its haunts in Burmah.

PANOLIA ELDI. The Sunguái.

Nondescript Deer, McLelland, Calcutta Journ. N. H. Vol. I. p. 501, Pl XII.

Cervus Eldi, Guthrie, (Calcutta Journ. N. H. Vol. II. p. 405, Pl. XII.

C. lyratus, Schinz. Syn. Mam. II 395.

C. dimorphe, Hodgson, Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, Vol. XII. p. 897. C. smithi, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1837, p. 45.

Panolia acuticornis, Gray, List Mamm. B. M. 180.

Panolia platycercos, Gray. List Mamm. B. M. 181, adult; Cat. Osteol, B. M. 66.

Cervus (Rusa) frontalis, McLelland, Calcutta Journ. N. H. III. p. 401, Pl. XIII. Sundevall, Pecora, 132.

Panolia Eldi, (The Sungnái), Gray. Cat. Hodgson Coll. B. M. 34; Osteol. B. M. 66: Knowsley Menag. Cat. Mam. in Museum As. Soc. Bengal, Blyth, 1863, p. 149.

Native names, Sungnái, apud Guthrie and Blyth: Sungraëë apud Eld: Thamyn of Burmah.

Hab. Pegu, northward to the valley of Munipore: Siam: and proximate portion of the Malayan Peninsula, (Kedda) Mergui, (Blyth.)

The first notice we have of this deer, was published in 1841,* and entitled-Indication of a nondescript species of Deer by John McLelland."

"Captain Guthrie of the Bengal Engineers, employed in the construction of a road from the valley of Cachar to Monypore, procured the horns of a deer whose lower, or basal antler descends in the axis of the

*Calcutta Journ. Nat. Hist. Vol. I. p. 501, Pl. XII.