, 1874-08-29

.''A contributor to Chambers, Journal disco,,ru
ing Oh tho color Of Rnilnala prosqys ,na,iy intor
sns";sSt sstaSt taeis on s1(ect tint receiving a.
and students OF natural history. We condens,
tronthis pai>er az follows :" .:::.t :, a..
..lllo rather antiquatcd ilca TINT all Lilo ;lceso
momData, or tile animal kingdom wore olcntci
70 aor tlo service or admiration ot man, IL ropdi
IN tho dopths or tho Indian Sea- whore no b,l.
man oyo can aeo them, pnaseaa lila mogk,,
goous tints." Tho carefnl obsorvor WHO DIRECTS
his attention to tho subject, will bp 1t, uelS i,
tne TACT TINT Wia!o blrla. fishes, and nHoets
ilowors to. which they acom closely aillcd, nre
without follccttss shades. Pursuing our inyrs-
tgailos further, it in notetf that,, au,our ,aui-
n,alg. tho part Of thq. body. turned towards tue
tfat tst xs ts1 u IT, away from the et T. plor ta9
this aro fonnd in THO solo anl tnrbot,
a,swors to tho, hack, u Of a,.dark tilt, ,wbilo
tho other aide il white. III the ease Of BIRDS,
tI nIowo,Her' this distinction 10 less marod. since
y luminous. The wings OF n,atiy bslttor.lcs,
for like reason. aro ns beautifully featlioret}
oelow as Above. In further support Of this
theory. TINT tho color ia mainy duo to the action
q e., hEas; s. Ing 1.otsal tinta Of tho mollusca that
Of tllo larv'o OF insects found iu gronndor wood,
nnu tho whitencss OF those GU rous little boeIlos
inhabtlng tho inaccessible ereyaBsos OF snowy
mountains, III "lioso depths tl,cy ara l,iddon.
IL ~ 1urth9rn'ore observed TINT, so fur az con-
those arc tlle most brilliant which arc exposed
10 tho SUI, those Of tho tropics bong brIcLter
huea than in tho regions around tho North Polo.
ai,d tho diusnal apecies ttan tho uoctu,7lnl.
ts atlG '51a ehn1s am aeem to form, an EXCEPTION to
lIght ~ moro tempered. Tie most dazzling
cnlals ass those which lang under tho natural
cornlces of tho rocks mud on tho sdcs of Bnb
nar'no Grottoes. Fialos That aro found in sI,a-
!ow water arc lcss brilliant IN tint than those OBJ
tnined at greater depth. Those who bring IN
goldfish nre careful to afforl them protection
against the direct rays Of the sun, without wlio
precaut'on they soon lose their beauty.
Pnasing from the facts TO l,riof discussion of
the causes which result in the Irregularities Of
color and .int wo learn that while in certain
casou tho color is. ditto to tho molecular arrauge-
1ent OF the lining substance. tllsR s not ,1a,a]v
tilc case Sometimes tlleao eolors ariao from q
pINcnomenon like that by Which tho soap bubble
special agmont which IL united with tho orcauic
substance, aa in the brilliant which is tho Mig
me'it Of tho c0cllineal inscct The color loft nn
tho hands after lloldiug'a butterfly il another
Instance, and there arc certain Birds Hol IN tic
der on tho hands. :!
or tho chotnical constitution Of these various
pigments, little soemH Known. It il moro or
dlnariiy found III tho depth Of tile tiyHuos ro.
dnced to tne particles. When these particles
are acattercd they scarcely influence tho shade:
but when near. together, as iii lilo caBo OF ihea
nogro, they give chauetcr to the snrfaco OK
poAcd. Ago tql.es it away iron, tho llnlr. wl,un
It turna ~hte''tho coloring matter giving place
to snall mir bubbles. There IL another, and a
large order Of animala, including many birds
and fishes in .woicl toaolo.cauao Of color in tho
play of light over the exposed surface. When
Tho oaautlul feathers OF Il llunlnil,e bird aro OK
amined under the microscope, tlloy appour to bo
simply made OF a dirk brown, opugueisu!,st
1ot uhllko thoFo Of the blncti duck, aud to tho
nd brlljanoy Of their colors nny 10 nscribotl
flo many-haea Shades Of ilahes are duo to tIo
,Anle cause. 'NS