Abstract
In order to examine the dependence of the expression of a multilunar gene (L) on a variety of genetical backgrounds, crosses were made between each three multi-lunar strains (H9LRO, H2L and H7L) and several normal strains of different origin.
The expression of the multi-lunar marking was highest in crosses with Tropical and Cantonese races followed by crosses with Chinese, Japanese and European races, decreasing in the mentioned order down to the lowest in crosses with trimoltine races. Such a relationship became more obvious after repeated back-crossing with the same strains.
These results suggest that the expression of a L gene is influenced by several other genes than its normal allele, and that some of these genes may have some relation with voltinism.
It seems likely that the genetical background of such nature is more or less similar within strains belonging to the same local race, while it is not between races of different localities.
