i88i.] IS THE ROSE RED? 467 



object with a certain impression (in this case redness), that leads our 

 judgment astray, and makes us believe that the colour is in the object; 

 and it certainly requires the comparison of many observations and ex- 

 periments to establish a truth so unlike the settled convictions of early 

 life. The point in question, however, is one extremely easy of experi- 

 ment, and one which would form a source of pleasant entertainment 

 for any spare winter's evening. Let us procure a spirit-lamp, and 

 place on the wick a piece of common salt about as large as a pea ; let 

 the lamp be lighted in a room from which all other light is completely 

 excluded, and bring near to the flame a red Rose or scarlet Geranium. 

 The flowers will be seen to have strangely transformed from the bright- 

 ness of their colours, to what appears an ashy grey. A ball of bright 

 scarlet wool, such as ladies use to work their bright designs, when 

 held near this flame is apparently no longer scarlet, but of the more 

 homely grey. The experiment may be made even more striking when 

 at a little distance from the spirit-lamp is placed a feeble light of the 

 ordinary kind — a rush-light, for example. 



A bouquet viewed by the rush-light shows the so - called natural 

 colours of the flowers ; but when brought under the salted light or 

 flame, the Roses, Verbenas, and Larkspurs, or whatever else the 

 bouquet may contain, with one exception — viz., that of yellow flowers 

 — all become of a uniform ashy grey. The same influence is observ- 

 able upon fleshy matter — the pink coral-like lips become a livid hue, 

 almost repulsive to weak nerves. Let us now seek for a few explana- 

 tions. In the first place, it may be stated that spirit burnt in the way 

 indicated gives off little or no light of any kind. When, however, 

 common salt is introduced into the flame, then light is given off; but 

 light of only one particular colour — that colour being yellow. Our 

 search would be in vain for red, green, blue, or violet vibrations ; and 

 as the objects on which the light falls cannot supply these, it follows 

 that with this light no impression corresponding to these colours can 

 be produced on the eye, whatever may be the object upon which it falls. 

 We must therefore come to the conclusion that the colours come from 

 the light, rather than from the object. Of course it must be remem- 

 bered that there is in each substance something that determines which 

 are the rays absorbed, and which are the rays reflected to the eye ; 

 something that can destroy certain waves but is powerless over others, 

 that rebound from the substance, and reaching the eye, there produce 

 their characteristic impression. And it is but this power of sending 

 back only certain rays among the multitude which a sunbeam furnishes, 

 that can be attributed to objects, when we may properly say that flowers 

 have such and such a colour. In this sense only, then, we have a right 

 to say that the Rose is red. Yet it is also true that the redness is not 

 in the Rose, if we believe that the agent which produces in our visual 

 organs the impression of colour is not in the objects, but in the light 

 which falls upon them. We offer the above as a mere outline of the 



