Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-08
Colors in Living Creatures.

The cOlOrS which predominant in the whole
mass OF living creatures Of all kinds are tints OF
ors, such as blue, scarlet, crimson, gold, or
silver, are exceptional, and the color blue is es
pecially rare. The borrowed radiance OF the in
organic world, in the form of metallic bright
ness, Is especially characteristic of those 1v-
ing gems, the humming- birds; but not few
other animals also exhibit it. Thus, of birds
more or less gifted with metallic radiance,
though in less degree than humming- birds
may be mentioned the sun-birds, the trogons
and the beautiful family OF pheasants; and many
insects and many fishes shine with metallic
tints. Brightness of this kind Though the
leaves of few plants have a coppery luStre) is
unknown in the world of plants in which Shades
OF green are oyerwhelmingly predominant and
are universally present, except in a few excep-
tional forms, notably the fungi. Various
aquatic animals belonging to very different
groups agree In possessing perfectly glass
IKE IKE transparency Among them are fish which
live In the ocean; for example, the Teleostean
fish, (Leptocepltd,tLs) also mollusca of all kinds
including even perfectly transparent cutie
fishes. There are also glaSs-like crustaceans,
however, never present this character, although
by 1t they might, as well as animals, escape
being preyed upon: Most fishes which fnhablt
the deep sea are of dull black color though
some are white, and the majority of all deep
sea animals, considered as whole, are, more
or less decidedly cOlored. many brightly So LII
minosity is character of many lowly animals
and it is the presence of minute creatures pos
sessing this character which so often causes the
spray dashed from the PROV of an advancing
ship to appear like shower of sparks While
glowing bodies traverse the water beneath its
surface Many insects such as fire-fiieS and glow
worms, are VIGOROUSLY luminous. In the Vege-
table world, however. this character is very
rarely present, being only so in certain fungi,
some OF Which exhibit wonderful luminosity
Humboldt relates that he found this to be es-
pecially splendid in mines AS like phenomena
OF color characterize certain groups OF living
creatures, so also like phenomena of color may
characterize certain geographical regions, being
common to creatures OF very different kinds
Which inhabit such regions, as we shall here
after see. The brightest Of living things, the
humming- birds, have their true home In the
equatorial region Of America, to which CONT
nent they are exclusively confined But it is in
the equatorial region Of the whole earth that we
find the most brilliant birds of other kinds,
the most brightly-colored reptiles and fishes.
the largest and many of the loveliest
butterflies, moths, and Beetles the most beauti-
full orchids, the largest of all flowers and of all
clusters of flowers But neither the temperate.
nor even the arctic or antarctic climes are de-
MED the glory Of bright tints in the long days
of their brief, but sometimes fervid Summer.
Indeed, the golden burst Of gorse and glow of
heather In our temperate zone have. In their
way, an unequal charm; while every here and
there arctic lands and alpine heights exhibit
beauties OF color which are hardly elsewhere
presented by the field of animated nature to the
eye of man.-[T. George MiUart, iaa C0ntena-
p07dfy RecietC.