330 Olservations relative to 
colour, are obvious; as are the Latin luteus, cinereus, 
ceeruleus, glaucus, prasinus, aureus, violaceus, and 
many others. I shall dismiss this subject at prescnt, 
hoping that it may be pursued till we have a more 
expressive and complete set of names, &c. 
I remain yours, &c. 
Clapton, Nov. 1, 1813. THOMAS FORSTER. 
LV. Observations relative to the near and distant Sight of 
different Persons. By James Ware, Esq. F.R.S.* 
Tus fact that near-sightedness most commonly com- 
mences at an early period of life, and distant-sightedmess 
generally at an advanced age, is universally admitted. Ex- 
ceptions, however, to these rules so frequently occur, that 
T flatter myself a brief statement of some of the coincident 
circumstances attendant on these different imperfections 
in vision, may not be found wholly undeserving the atten- 
tion of the Royal Society. Near-sightedness usually comes 
on between the ages of ten and eighteen. The discovery of 
it most commonly arises from accident; and, at first, the 
inconvenience it occasions is so little, that it is not impro- 
bable the imperfection would remain altogether unnoticed, 
if a comparison were not instituted with the sight of others, 
or if the experiment were not made of looking through a 
concave glass. Among persons in the inferior stations of 
society, means are rarely resorted to for correcting slight 
defects of this nature ; and, indeed, I have reason to be- 
lieve the imperfection in such people is not unfrequently 
overcome by the increased exertions that are made by the 
eye to distinguish distant objects. This, however, is not 
the case, in the present day, with persons in the bigher 
ranks of life. When these discover that their discernment 
of distant objects is less quick or less correct than that 
of others, though the difference may be very slight, in- 
fluenced perhaps by fashion move than by necessity, they 
immediately have recourse to a concave glass ; the natural 
consequence of which is, that their eyes in a short time be- 
come so fixed in the state requiring its assistance, that the 
recovery of distant vision is rendered afterwards extremely 
difficult, if not quite impossible. With regard to the pro- 
portion between the number of near-sighted persons in the 
different ranks of society, I have taken pains to obtain sa- 
* From the Philosophical Transactions for 1813, part i. 
tisfactory 
ee 
