Darwin's Contribution to the Knowledge of Hybridization

Abstract

TTHE period from 1859 until the re-discovery of Mendel's papers in 1900 was so strongly colored by the views of Charles Darwin, and so dominated by the magnitude' of his work, that it sometimes seems as though originality and initiative had been abandoned, and as though, so far as evolution were concerned, the scientific world had remained content simply to quote Darwin. It is the purpose of the present paper to present. the contributions of Darwin to the knowledge of hybrids. To this end it seems desirable, so far as possible, to let Darwin's words speak for themselves, and hence, although the paper may seem burdened with extracts, yet, for those interested in tracing the history of ideas in genetics, it will perhaps be of service to assemble such a resume of Darwin's work and thought in the field of hybridization. Brought together in such a way, anl author's contribution may be more successfully valuated at leisure by those who may be interested. writer has, therefore, sought to bring together, in soomewhat connected and coherent form, the various views, conclusions and experimental data on the subject of hybrid's and hybridization, found' in Darwin's different writings. It is also the purpose of the writer to bring into relief certain fields of investigation opened by him, but in which, so far as appears, there has been little or no research since his time. On November 24, 1859, appeared the first edition of The Origin of Species (1), antedating by seven years, the appearance of the papers of Mendel. 535