Sind mehrere differirende Merkmale durch Befruchtung in einer Hybride vereinigt, so bilden die Nachkommen derselben die Glieder einer Combinationsreihe, in welcher die Entwicklungsreihen für je zwei differirende Merkmale vereinigt sind.
If several differing traits are united through fertilisation in a hybrid, then the descendants of the same form members of a combination series in which the developmental series for each of the two differing traits are united.
This, and the preceding statement, can be interpreted as Mendel’s way of formulating his second and third “laws”, the “law of segregation” and the “law of independent assortment”. It is notable, though, that both statements, just like the one on p. 17, s. 1, only refer to traits and make no reference to genetic factors. Statements that make reference to the genetic constitution of gametes and zygotes will only appear on p. 29, s. 4, and at the very end of Section 9, on p. 32, s. 2, where Mendel also refers back to the sentence under discussion here as proposing the “law of combination of differing traits”. But in these cases, the statements are supposed to explain the “laws” formulated earlier on, and hence are not laws themselves.
united = vereinigt See p. 41, s. 6.
members = Glieder See p. 20, s. 12.
combination series = Combinationsreihe See p. 21, s. 1.
developmental series = Entwicklungsreihe See p. 17, s. 6.