With respect to this species, I merely ascertained that the flowers were highly fertile when insects were excluded, as indeed must be the case, for the plants are often forced during the winter when no insects are present. Some plants of two varieties (namely Canterbury and Fulmer’s Forcing Bean) were covered with a net, and they seemed to produce as many pods, containing as many beans, as some uncovered plants growing alongside; but neither the pods nor the beans were actually counted. This difference in self-fertility between Phaseolus vulgaris and multifloris is remarkable, as these two species are so closely related that Linnaeus thought that they formed one. When the varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris grow near one another in the open ground, they sometimes cross largely, notwithstanding their capacity for self-fertilisation. Mr. Coe has given me a remarkable instance of this fact with respect to the negro and a white-seeded and a brown-seeded variety, which were all grown together. The diversity of character in the seedlings of the second generation raised by me from his plants was wonderful. I could add other analogous cases, and the fact is well-known to gardeners. (5/10. I have given Mr. Coe’s case in the ‘Gardeners’ Chronicle’ 1858 page 829. See also for another case ibid page 845.) Lathyrus odoratus. Almost everyone who has studied the structure of papilionaceous flowers has been convinced that they are specially adapted for cross-fertilisation, although many of the species are likewise capable of self-fertilisation. The case therefore of Lathyrus odoratus or the sweet-pea is curious, for in this country it seems invariably to fertilise itself. I conclude that this is so, as five varieties, differing greatly in the colour of their flowers but in no other respect, are commonly sold and come true; yet on inquiry from two great raisers of seed for sale, I find that they take no precautions to insure purity--the five varieties being habitually grown close together. (5/11. See Mr. W. Earley in ‘Nature’ 1872 page 242, to the same effect. He once, however, saw bees visiting the flowers, and supposed that on this occasion they would have been intercrossed.) I have myself purposely made similar trials with the same result. Although the varieties always come true, yet, as we shall presently see, one of the five well-known varieties occasionally gives birth to another, which exhibits all its usual characters. Owing to this curious fact, and to the darker-coloured varieties being the most productive, these increase, to the exclusion of the others, as I was informed by the late Mr. Masters, if there be no selection.