Some
characters of course may split, but others remain constant, and when
only such are present, hybrid races result with new combinations of
characters, which are as constant as the best species of the same genus.
The hybrids of Janczewski were quite fertile, and he points out that
there is no good reason why they should not be considered as good new
species. If they had not been produced artificially, but found in the
wild state, their origin would have been unknown, and there can be no
doubt that they would have been described by the best systematists as
species of the same value as their parents. Such is especially the case
with a hybrid between _Anemone magellanica_ and the common _Anemone
sylvestris_.
Starting from similar considerations Kerner von Marilaun pointed out the
fact long ago that many so-called species, of rare occurrence, [267]
standing between two allied types, may be considered to have originated
by a cross. Surely a wide field for abuse is opened by such an
assertion, and it is quite a common habit to consider intermediate forms
as hybrids, on the grounds afforded by their external characters alone,
and without any exact knowledge of their real origin and often without
knowing anything as to their constancy from seed. All such apparent
explanations are now slowly becoming antiquated and obsolete, but the
cases adduced by Kerner seem to stand this test.
Pages:
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268