Recognized HTML document

HEREDITY   307

but doubtless with mistakes in a few details. He was a Master at Harrow when some scrape had occurred, and a boy in whom he was interested was judged guilty and sent up to be flogged. The boy protested his innocence so vehemently, that although appearances were sadly against him, Watson was ready to believe what he said, and took unusual pains to investigate the matter. The result was that the boy was completely exculpated. A few years after, the boy's father bought the property at Berkswell in which the gift of the living was included. It happened to be then vacant, and the new proprietor found he must either nominate some one at once, or the nomination would lapse, and fall (I think) to the Bishop. He knew of no suitable clergyman. Then the boy called out, " Give it to Mr. Watson," which the father, knowing the story, did.


I thought that some data which were needed might be obtained by breeding insects, without too great expenditure of time and money, and it ended in my selecting for the purpose, under the advice of Mr. Merrifield, a particular kind of Moth, the " Selenia illustraria," which breeds twice a year and is hardy. Mr. Merrifield most kindly undertook to conduct the experiments for me, and his methods were beautifully simple and suitable. They are described in the Transactions of the Entomological Society, 1887 [ioo]. Another friend also undertook a set. I will not describe any of the results at length, because they failed owing to rapidly diminishing fertility in successive generations, and through the large disturbing effects of small differences in environ-