Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-07-09


be noticed that birds which fly, as it
were, bathcd in light do not offer the
strong contrast of tone between the up
per and lower side. Beetles, wasps,
and flies have the metallic coloring Of
blue and green, and possess rings equally
dark all round the body and the wings
of many butterflies are as beautifully
feathered below as above.
On the other hand, mollusca which
live III an almost closed shell, like the
oyster, arc nearly colorless; the larvae
of insects found i'll the ground or in
wood have the same whitencss, as we'll
as all intestinal worms shut up in Oh
security. Some insects whose lives IRE
spent in darkness keep this appearance
al their lives such as the curious lit
tle beetle inhabiting the inaccessible
crevasses of snowy mountains, in whose
depths they are hidden. They seem to
fly from light as from death, and arc
only found at certain seasons, when
they crawl on the flooring of the caves
like Larvae, without eyes, which would
be useless in the retreat in which they
usually DWELL
This relation between coloring andlight
is very evident in the beings which in
habit the earth and air those arc the
most brilliant which are exposed to the
sun those of the tropics arc brighter
than those in the region around the
North Pole, and the di,rnal species
than the nocturnal but the same law
does not apparently belong to the in
habitants of the sea, which are of q
richer shade where the light is more
tempered. The most dazzling corals
are those which hang under the natural
cornices of the rocks and OH the sides
of submarine grottos while some kinds
of fish which are found on the shores
us we'll rs in depths requiring the drag
net have q bright red-purplc III the lat
ter regions, and an insignificant yellow
brown in the former. Those who bring
mp gollfishes know we'll that to have
them finely colored, they must place
them in a shaded vase, where aquatic
plants hide them from the extreme So
lar heat. Under hot July sun they
lose their beauty.
The causes to which animal c0loring
is due are very various. Some living
substances have it in themselves, owing
to molecular arrangements, but usually
this is not the case !; tho iveliest colors
are not found up with the tissues.
Sometimes they arise from phenom-
ena like that by which the soap-bubble
shows its prismatic hues; sometimes
there is o special matter called pig.
ment, which is united with the organic
substances. Such is the brilliant paint,
carmine, which is the pigment Of the
cocllincal insect, and the red color OF
blood, which may be collected in crys.
tails, separate from the other particles
to which it is united.
Even the powder not unknown to
ladies of fashion is oneof natures beau.
tifying means. That which is left on
the hands of the ruthless boy when he
has caught butterfly, is common
instance; but there are birds, such as
the large white cockatoo, Which leave
Il white tepowder on thehands. An Afri.
can traveller speaks of his astonishment
on rainy day to see Lis hands red.
dened by the moist plumageof bird he
had Just killed. The most ordinary
way, however, in which the pigment is
found is when it exists in the depths OF
the tissues, reduced to very fine particles,
best seen under the microscope. When
scattered they scarcely influence the
shade ; but when close together, they
are very perceptible. This explains
the color of the negro !; under the very
delicate layer of skin which is raised
by a slight burn there may be seen
abundance of brown pigment in the
black man. It is quite superficial, fo1
tie skin differs only from that of the
European in tone ; it wants tho exquis
ito transparency of fair races. Among
these the colors which impress the eye
do not come from fiat surface, but
from the different depths or layers III
the flesh. Hence the variety of rose
and lily tints according Us the blood
circulates more or less freely f; hence
the blue veins, which give a false ap,
pearance, because the blood is red; but
the skin thus dyes the deep tones which
lie beneath it; tatooing with Indian ink
is blue; blue eyes owe their shade to tho
brown pigment which lines the othcl
side of the iris, and the muscles seer
under the skin produce tho blush tons
we'll known to painters.
Tho chemical nature of pigment i.
little known the sun evidently favor.
its development in red patches. Agt
takes it away from the hair when il
turns white, tho coloring matter giving
place to very small air-bnbbles.
There is the same difference betweel
the metallic hues of creatures endowed
with flight and the iris shades of fishes
that there is between crystalizel bis
muth and tho soft reflection of til.
changing opal. 10 have an idea of tn
richness of the fish, it is only ncccs
sary to see a not landed filled with shat
or other bright fish. 1t is ono i'm
,nense opal, with the same Transparent,
of shade seen through the scales. whicl
afford the only means of Initiating
pearls. It is duo, however, not to th'
scales, but to extremely thin layers ly
ing below the scales under the skin ant
around the blood-vesscls, which lool
like 50 many threads of silver running
through the flesh. seaumcr first nO
ticctl and described them; sometime
their form is us regulcr us that of
crystal, and of intinitesinal size an,
thickness. The art of the makers Q
false pearls is to collect these plates il
a mass from the fish, and make u past
of them with the addition of glue, whic]
ispompouslyramed " Eastern Essence.
This is put inside glass beads, an
gives them the native whiteness q
pearls.
Many observations have been mad
lately by our naturalists as to the dc
fense which color supplies to animals
hares, rabbits, stags and goats posses
the most favorable shade for conceal
ing them i'll the depths of the forcs
or i'll the fields. 1t is we'll known tina
when the volunteer corps were enrolle
and tho most suitable color for the rifle
men was discussed, it was supposed t
be green. Soldiers dressed in differel
shades were placed in woods and plain:
to try which offered the best concea
mont. Contrary to expectation, tina
which escaped the eye of the encm
WAS not green, but the fawn color of til
doc. AmonghuutinS quadrupcds, suc
as the tiger, tho leopard, the jagua
and tho panther, there is Il shade OF ski
} which man has always been anxious
oOOrOnrinta fnr lia Ovvn ,,so Tho III