_Fritz Müller on Cross-infertility._--Fritz Müller writes, "Every plant requires, for the production of the strongest possible and most prolific progeny, a certain amount of difference between male and female elements which unite. Fertility is diminished as well when this degree is too low (in relatives too closely allied) as when it is too high (in those too little related)." Then he adds, as a general rule, "Species which are wholly sterile with pollen of the same stock, and even with pollen of nearly allied stocks, will generally be fertilized very readily by the pollen of another species. The self-sterile species of the genus Abutilon, which are, on the other hand, so much inclined to hybridization, afford a good example of this theory, which appears to be confirmed also by Lobelia, Passiflora, and Oncidium" (_American Naturalist_, vol. viii, pp. 223-4, 1874). _Different groups of plants exhibit remarkable differences in the capability of their constituent species to hybridize._--In so far as these differences have reference only to first crosses, they have no bearing either for or against my theory. Only in so far as the differences extend to the production of fertile hybrids does any question arise for me. First of all, therefore, I must ascertain whether (or how far) there is any correlation between groups whose species manifest aptitude to form first crosses, and groups where first crosses manifest aptitude to produce fertile hybrids. Next, whatever the result of this inquiry should be, if I find that certain natural groups of plants exhibit comparatively well-marked tendencies to form fertile hybrids, the question will arise, Are these tendencies correlated with _paucity_ of species? If they are, the fact would make strongly in favour of physiological selection. For the fact would mean that in these natural groups, owing to "the nature of the organisms" included under them, less opportunity is given to physiological selection in its work of differentiating specific types than is given by other natural groups where the nature of the organism renders them more prone to mutual sterility. But in prosecuting this branch of verification, I must remember to allow for possibilities of differential degrees of geographical isolation in the different groups compared.