SEPTEMBER AND NOVEMBER. 



237 



this is the case with the violet, harebell, aster, and 

 blue-eyed grass. But the bottle gentian often shows 

 a decided pale vio- 

 let blue color, which f\ 

 comes within the 

 category of blues ; 

 however, I can not 

 see the same blue 

 in the flower that 

 Thoreau talks about ; 

 he says, " a splendid 

 blue, . . . bluer than 

 the bluest sky." 

 Now, if we will look 

 at that part of the 

 heavens which is ex- 

 actly at right angles 

 with the position 

 held by the sun on 

 a clear day, we will 

 see a color which 

 Ruskin calls " blue 

 fire." If a piece of 

 white paper is held 

 up so that it receives 

 the full sunlight and is in juxtaposition with the 

 blue sky, it will be seen that the sky-blue is as bril- 



Closed Gentian 



