COLOUR'S LURE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 7, 9 January 1932, Page 15

COLOUR'S LURE

Scarcely two people have quite the same colour sense, although there1 is a very general consensus of opinion, as to ,the relative values of the component paits of the spectrum, writes E. G. Boulenger in the '' Daily -Telegraph.'' Emotions, affections, and antipathies are associated with' the 'same tints, the woild over. Black is universally coupled with death, whito with virginity, red with violence, and yellow with depression or jealousy. To a more limited extent, this holds good with the so-called lower animals. jThe colours which we so much admire in many animals must to a certain-ex-tent arouse similar pleasure in their owners, whcie such colours aro purely of an ornamental nature. There can be little doubt that' the vivid tints:;-of many male birds and beasts give pleasure to the- females. Colour may likewise excite' the appetito. The fascination red flannel has for many fish, .amphibians, and crustaceans is well known. An experienced fly fisherman studies the flies in evidence about tho stream and copies them, sinco even a crude effort often proves more deadly than the readymade flies of the shops, which, however perfect in finish, are quite valueless when not in colour. . v . It has, been found * amongst the inhabitants! ot .the zoo's reptile, house that many of 'the '• vegetarian lizards favour deep yellow or orange, whilst amongst the carnivorous inhabitants— ,lizaida as'^weH w snakes—a white mouse,-rat, rabbit, or pigeon;is preferred to one of a grey, brown, or black hue. - jX ,' , Vividly contrasted' combinations of black and yellow aid red a»d', yellow ar»Usually considered, ''warning" col-

AfcUMAiLS LI&E IT

ours, and scores of examples might; be quoted to justify the assertion. The coral snakes'of Central'and Tropical South America are known by over twenty apeeies, and. nearly, all ,show vivid markings of ted, black, and yellow in lings. ,It is asserted that this conspicuous colouring serves m * ''hands off" notice to, all and sundry^ since many of the species are deadly poisonous. ' , ' ' ■ Some snakes, however, with similar patterns, and living iri the same localities, are quite harmless, and their close similarity with, some of .the ,most lethal kinds has not only proved a, baffling problem to expect herpetologists, . but has been the cause of innumerable fatalities among the uninitiated. , The brain-power of insects is of' the most elementary order, and yet the preference they have for certain colour* is very marked. In none is. .it more bo than in the mosquito. Daring the war, when this insect was as great a menace to our Eastern troops as were the eneir;es' guns, a long series ot experiments was conducted on these insect* at Christ's College-; Cambridge. In a largo gauze tin, many pasteboard boxes without lids were piled up, each box being lined with.a different colour. In all, seventeen colours' were used. The average number of mosquitoes found In the navy bluo box was well over 100, against about fifty that favoured the scarlet, black,.or slate grey ones. Very few indeed were attracted by white, pale green, light > blue, or violet. In the yellow boxes no mosr quitoes were found at all. These experiments' show that white has other advantages than that of resisting the sun's ray, and that dark colours should "never be employed- in mosquito-infested' areas, save as traps.