The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-09-24

|
A contributor to Chambers Journal dis
coursing On the color of animals, present,
many interesting facts en- subject that i.
| receiving the special attention alike Of chem
lists, physicists and students Of natural his
tory We coniense from this paper .,
| follows:
The rather Anticipated idea that an ths
lesser members II the animal Kingdom vert
created fer the service or admiration Of MAJ
is rspudilte1 for the one reason among man
that fishes in the depths Of the Indian Sea
where no human eye can see them. posses.
the most gorgeous tints:" The careful
observer who directs his attention to the sub-
ject, will be struck by the fact, that, while
birds, fishes, and insects possess the metal
lie coloring, zoophytes, like the flowers 10
which they seem closely allied, are vi,hoa,
rejecting 81 AIDES. Pursuing our iAvestiga
tions further. it is noted that, among amin al /,
the part of the body turned towards the
earth, that is, away from the light, is psler
| than ,hst which is uppermost. Marked in
stantes Of this are found in the sole and tur.
| bet, each Of which have the left eide, which
answers to the buck. Of dark tint, while
the other side Is white. In the ease Of birds
however. this distraction 10 lees mark Cd since
they live in an atmosphere that is m,re com :
pletely luminous. The wings Of many but
ter.hies, for a like re son, are ~ beautiful y
fcathered below IS above Ia further support
Of this theory that the color is mainly due the
action Of light, he'neutrial tints of tt mol
lusca that live in closed shells are cited "a Q,
the pale color of the larve of insects found in
grou, I'd or wood, and tn. wilderness Of those
curious little beetles, inhabiting the in.cees-
sible crevasses Of snowy mountains. in whose
depths they are hidden.
IL is furthermore observed that. 50 far ~
concerns the color Of animals. birds, and in .
sects, those are the most brilliant which are
exposed to the sun, those Of the tropics be-
ing brighter hued than in the region, around
the North Pole, and the diurnal species thsn
the nocturnal. Marine animals seem to form
exception to this rule, and are Of a rick ar
shade where the light is more tempered.
The most darling corals are those which
hang under the natural cornires Of the rocks
and on the sides Of submx rine grottoes.--
Fishes that are found in shallow water are
less brilliant in tint THAI those cbtain. d ut a
greater depth. Those who bring up gold
fish are careful to afford them pro,e ctien
against the direct rays of the sun, without
which precaution they soon lose th-ir beau.
ty.
Passing from the facts to brief discussion
Of the Causes which results In the peculiar.
tiles Of color and tint we learn that while in
certain Gases the color is due to the mol
ocular arrangement of the lining SUBJ
stance. this is not usually the case. Some
times these colors arise from phenomenon
like that by which the soap bubble shows its
prismatic hues; sometimes there is u speclal
segment which is united with the rg,nic
me mt of the cochineal insect. The color left
on the hands after holding u butterfly is an
other instance, and there are certain birds,
such as the large white cuckatoo, which
leave white powder on the hands.
Or the chemical constitution Of these var
ious pigments, little seems known 1t is
more ordinarily found in the deptA of the
tissues reduced to hne Particles. When
hose particles are scattered they scarcely
Influence the shade; but when near together
i'll the OF the negro, they give char
~cter to the .urf.c. exposed. Age takes it
aw y from thc h .ir, when it turns white, the
c"loring matter giving place to small air
bubbles. There is another, all : n Larger or
DER Of animals, including many birds aud
FISHES ia " l.ich the sole Cause Of color is the
play Il light over the exposed surface. When
The bcau,IfuI 1etlncT. vi y auiuuIuY-bir are
examined und, r the micro.c ,i,e, they az
pear 10 b. Elm Jiy made of = dark brown,
op-YIe substance, hot unite those VI the
biacn duck, and t. ihe arrangement OF
these dark plates the changes aui br,liixucy
of their colors my be ascrio.i- Tie any
huei -naies Vi u,hes are due to tne s.me
cause