The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1906-04-11

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A. \ RUIZ ARE WHITE.
Why Are Land Birds Mostly Dark
und sca nirds, In Many Gases,
Whftef-why Have Nearly All Par
pie blossoms Poisonous PrOpertiest
Ia summer weather ladies. and men,
too, when possible wear white. Why?
To keep cool Of course, you viii say.
II this be So, why then, are almost all
inc creatures that live in arctic regions
IlOthcd In whitcG The usual reply Is
That the white color Is for protective
purposes in order, in fact, TO make
Them Invisible TO their enemies in the
midst Of the wastes OF snow.
But, consider, again. Is this reasona.
ble2 From whom does the polar bear
need 10 hldef lie has no enemies to
fear. And as for the birds which as
sumo Il white plumage when they NIL
CRATE north, surely they also have far
fewer foes in the polar regions than
when farther south
Again, II white be cool color this Is
surely another reason against the In
habltunts of the coolest regions turning
white ut the approach OF winter. 1t Is
easy 10 strengthen this argument. Visit
the tropics, and you Will find hardly
any white animals or birds. In the very
hottest regions OF the globe not only Is
man. as rule, black, but the birds and
beasts are either very dark or else ex.
tremely brilliant In color. or tropical
birds the commonest colors run rs fol.
lows Brown, dark green and dark blue,
emerald green reds and ycllows.
Speaking of The birds again, why Is 1t
that land birds are mostly dark hued
while 50 many sea birds are white?
Here Is another color puzzle. Almost
all SONG birds are somber in hue, while
the brightly colored species, such as the
Jays the parrots and birds of paradise.
have naturally harsh voices.
The colors OF flowers and leaves offer
numbers of interesting problems. No
one quite knows why the prevailing
Tint Of early spring flowers Is either
white or yellow Yellow. indeed, holds
It's own 10 some extent all through the
summer but the typical color of sum
mer blooms Is pink, while rs the au
tmn advances richer crlmsons and all
the rich. glowing hucs of dahlius and
ehrysanthemums are seen.
Ilortlcnlturists have produced pop
pies of pretty nearly every shade under
the sun, and with many other flowers
they seem able 10 alter the colors al
most rs they pleasc. Yet the blue rose,
the black tulip and the green cnrnation
seem as FAR Off n9 ever they We're in
spite OF constant efforts to arrive Mt
them. Nearly three centuries ago
. Dutch gardeners imagined themselves
on the verge of invcntIng n black tulip.
The colors of the blossom of fruit
trees are limited to white. pink. bright
scarlet and purple. The reason no one
knows Nor IS ii clear why nearly all
plants with purple blossoms have poi
sonouS properties The deadly night
shade IS an instance which Will he
familiar 10 all country readers.
1t used to be said and many stlll
imagine that Intensity of color depends
upon intensity Of light The brllliancy
OF tropical landscape seems In sonA
measure to bear this out. But any
amount Of arguments may be deduced
against It, Rubies, opals and other
eXQuisitely Colored gems are dug from
the depths of the earth.
The rays of the sun have never
touched them. The pulp OF some fruits
il more richly tinted than the outer
rind. while the crimson blood of ami
mails Is hidden from the light What
could be more rich and magnificent In
color than the wings of many mothsf
Yet these are all night dying creatures.
Speaking of moths, II seems odd that
there is no blue moth. Very few show
even touch or spot OF blue, The col
orinGs of butterflies present many prob
lens. for there seems no order or meth
cd In their hues aud markings and
strange point IL the absolute difference
In these points between species other
wise closely allied.
Why do autumn leaves turn yellow?
Here IS II question which Is more cas-
lily answered than some that have al
ready been suggested The popular
reply is, "'rhe frost does It," This Is
only partly correct If really hard
frost We're 10 happen early In autumn
there would he no tints nj all. All the
leaves would turn brown Mt once, The
really gorgeous colors are produced by
II slow and gradual fall of temperature.
of course, without too much wind or
rain. The cold causes a chemical fer
ment. which attacks the color com
pounds In the cells of the leaf. Ii Is
those leaves which contain most sugar
which oNidi2c most rapidly and OF
which. consequently. the color becomes
most rich and brilliant.
A question which is often asked Ia
"Why do Holsters. shrimps and certain
other similar shellhsh turn red when
boilcdf" 1t seems that the black color
Ing matter which colors the Shell OF the
lobster during life is an iron com
pound We know that iron rust Is red.
The effect of boiling IS practically to
turn this iron compound In the lobster
shell to highly oXidlzcd rust
The dislike of certain creatures for
c&tain eolorS Is strange. II n number
OF eGrthworm3 be placed in an oblong
box, of which one half is covered with
red and the other with blue glass. they
will with one accord crawl away from
the blue light and take refuge under
the red glass. Many other higher crea-
lures share the same dislike to blue
rays PearSon's Weekly.
A Terrible Mistake.