Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-01-30
PROBLEMS IN COLORS
WHITE IS COOL, YET ARCTIC ANIMALS
AS A RULE ARE WHITE.

why Are Lnud eird, Mnsty Dnrr.
nrd Sen Hi"jS, in .inny CnS"S,
white why Have NcnrI, AZ rur-
PIE blossoms Poiaonuua propcrtics.
In summer weather ladies. and men,
hoo. when possible wear white Why!
10 keep cool, OF course you will say.
II this bc so. why. then. are almost all
The creatures that live in arctic regions
rlotbcd in whjtcE The usual reply is
That the white color IS for protective
purposes in order. in fact. 10 mal;o
them Invisible to their enemies in tho
midst OF the wastes of SNOW.
Bnt. consider, again. is this rcaSona-
bile: From whom does the polar bear
need To hide? He has no enemies to
fear. Aud as for the birds which as
eume Il whit" rlumagc when they mi
crate north, surely they also have far
fewer foes in the polar regions than
whom farther south.
Again. If white br cool color this Ia
surely another reason against the in
habtants of the coolest regions tIrnin.
white ut the approach of winter. 1t Isl
easy To strengthen this argument Visit
the tropics. AMI Won will find hardly
any white animals o. birds In tho very
hottest regions az Tho globe not only is
man, as rulc. hl3Ck. hut the birds and
hensts arc either very darl, or clsr cy-
tremcly brilliant in color. or tropical
birds III" "ommoucst colors run rs fol
lows; Brown. dark groom ana dark blue.
emerald green. rods and ycllowg
that land birds arc mostly dari, hucd
whilr SO many sen birds arc white?
Here Is another color puzzle Almost
I'll song birds ~" snml'cr In huc. while
the brightly coloycd species. such aa tho
jnys. tn" parrots and birds Of paradise,
hnvc naturally harsh voices.
Tho colorS of flowers and lcavcs offer
numbers nf interesting Problems No
ono quite knows why tho prevailing
tint Of "rrlv spring flowers IS either
white ar yellow. Yellow. iudocd. holds
tts own 10 some extent all through tho
summer. hut ia" tvpcnl color of sum-
NOR hlooms IA riuk. vhi'n MS th" nu-
trmn advHurcs richer crimSuus and nil
the rich. glowing hurs Of daljps aud
rysaOth"mrm aye s"cu
TIortiruliurists have produced pop
pics of rrcity nearly every shnIr under
tho sun. md with many uth"r flowers
they seem alb" To alter the co,ors al
most aS they please. Vet tho blue rose.
the hla"5 tulir and Tho green carnatiou
seem rs FAR of rs ever they wcrc in
spite of constant efforts TO arrive ut
thcm. \"1rly thrc" centuries ago
Dutch gardeners imagined themselves
on the verge of iuvonting black tulip.
I'll" colors of the blossom of fruit
trees are limited To white pink. bright
scarlet AMI purple. I'll" reason no ono
knows. Nor is it clear why nearly all
plants with purple blossoms have poi
sonouS properties. Tho deadly night
shade j. M instance which will no
familiar Ia an country readers
II used ia hr said AMI many still
Imagine that intensity of color depends
upon Intensity of light The brilliancy
Of tropical landscape seems in soma
measure to bear this out. But any
amount of arguments may hc dciurcd
against il. RuhicS. opals and other
ey1ui>ttcly colorcd gems are dug from
the depths of the earth.
1h" rays OF tho sun have never
touched them. III" pulp Of some fruits
Is more richly tintrd than the outer
rind. while tn" crimson blood of ami
mails is hidden from The light. What
could bc more rich and magnificent in
color than tho wings of many moths
Yet those M" all night dying creatures.
Speaking Of moths. it seems odd that
there * 40 hin" moth. Very few show
even touch or spot of blue. The col
.orings of butterflies present many prob
lens. fcr thor" seems no order or meth