Page:Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Vol 1.djvu/363

Rh four pair of four-inch plates of copper and zinc to blood, and extracted acid and alkali at the opposite wires.

A second experiment was made, with similar results, on blood still ﬂuid, in the vein of an animal just killed.

A third experiment was made upon serum, with 120 plates highly charged, with the same result.

. A fourth experiment was conducted in a similar manner, with 12 pair of plates, with similar results.

In a ﬁfth experiment, 30 pair of plates, very weakly charged, also extracted alkali and acid from serum exposed to them.

Since powers so weak are capable of separating the constituent parts of blood, it is suggested that the weaker powers existing in animals may produce the same effect, and thus occasion all the dif- ferent secretions, and modify albumen into the states of the different animal solids.

On the comparative Inﬂuence of Male and Female Parents on their Oﬁ'spring. By Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. F.R.S. In a Letter to the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K.B. P.R.S. Read June 22, 1809. [PhiL Trans. 1809,17. 392.]

. During the very extensive series of Mr. Knight’s endeavours to improve the varieties of fruit-trees, he has also been occupied in making correspondent experiments on the breeding of animals, and has always paid attention to the strong analogy which universally subsists between plants and animals in most points relating to gene- ration.

Although the author’s experiments have extended to many different species of fruit-trees, yet the greatest number, and those under the most favourable circumstances, were upon apple-trees. But as the results were all in unison, the instances here adduced are from the apple alone.

Linnaus conceived the character of the male to predonn'nate in the exterior both of plants and animals : hut Mr. Knight’s observations have led him to form a different conclusion; for he remarks, that seedl'mg plants and the young of animals inherit much more of the character of the female.

Seeds from cultivated apple-trees, impregnated by the Siberian crab, produced larger fruit than those from the crab impregnated by stamina from the ctdtivated fruit; but the quality and ﬂavour of the fruit appeared to inherit, in a greater degree, the qualities of the male.

In consequence of the frequent intermixtures that have taken place in the breeding of domesticated animals, there is often little resemblance to either parent; but it is observed, that the dimensions of the offspring are regulated principally by those of the female, and that a. corresponding length of legs appears especially necessary for accompanying the parent in ﬂight. But unless the male parent be proportionally strong, the legs of the offspring may be too long in