258 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Following are the words and the colors assigned to them in the 

 experiments noted above, including a few double numbers : 1, black ; 

 2, light-cream ; 3, dark-cream ; 4, brownish-red ; 5, black ; G, tan- 

 color or cream ; 7, greenish-black ; 8, dark-straw ; 9, mud-color ; 

 10, black ; 21, black and straw ; 22, light-cream ; 23, dark straw- 

 color ; 24, light and brown. 



Some three years ago Professor E. S, Ilolden contributed a paper 

 to "Science" on " Visualized Numbers," in which examples were given 

 that differ in some points from the results obtained by the writer. For 

 the purpose of comparing, I quote from Professor Holden's article : 

 " 1, black ; 2, cream ; 3, blue ; 4, brown ; 5, white ; G, crimson-pink ; 

 8, white ; 9, greenish ; 10, brown." 



It will be seen that where there is a variation it is a radical one. 

 I do not attempt to explain the reason, but state it as a curious ex- 

 ample of mental idiosyncrasy. 



Following some familiar names are given, and the color of each, 

 and also the letters of the alphabet : Mary, dark-red ; Abbie, tan ; 

 Lucy, dark-blue ; Richard, light-gray; Atalanta, steel-gray; Charlotte, 

 light-red ; Claire, light-blue ; Newcomb, dark-red ; Lincoln, black ; 

 Morse, brown ; Newhall, gray-black ; Frank, dark-green ; A, light- 

 straw ; B, gray ; C, tan ; D, blue ; E, black ; F, black ; G, light- 

 straw ; H, red ; I and J, black ; K, blue ; L, black ; M, brown ; N, 

 dark-blue ; O, light-red ; P, light-green ; Q, blue ; R and S, light- 

 straw ; T, green ; U, gray ; V, yellow ; W, blue ; X, gray ; Y and 

 Z, dark-brown, 



" Color-hearing " has been considered in " The Popular Science 

 Monthly " [August, 1883]. I quote from the article : " There are, in 

 fact, persons who are endowed with such sensibility that they could not 

 hear a sound without at the same time perceiving colors." These are 

 the colors of sounds, and the sound of colors is what can be regarded 

 as another branch of the same scientific mystery. Dr. Sophus Trom- 

 bolt has investigated in this direction and according to the testimony 

 of one hundred and forty-four persons in Norway in relation to the 

 emission of sound by the northern lights, ninety-two were found -who 

 believed in such sounds, and fifty-three asserted that they had heard 

 them. The sound was described as sizzling, hissing, whizzing, crack- 

 ling, rushing, rippling, rolling, flapping, creaking, and roaring. 



[Note by the Editor. — Connected with this subject it may be 

 well to recall an interesting relation of experiences which was started 

 several years ago by Mr, Francis Galton, respecting what he desig- 

 nated "visualized numerals," and the association of colors with vari- 

 ous numbers. The term " visualized numerals " in its simplest sense 

 means the concejttion, or mental vision, when any number is spoken or 

 thought of, of that number as it is written, the power to form which 

 may extend in some cases to lines of considerable length. In a fuller 

 sense the term means more, and may be associated with very curious 



