x iois^] ' '" " s i"""i cnc e- ',] 1 7 



very strongly that, whatever the final judgment upon Mr. Thayer's theories 

 may be, if there ever is a final judgment! — it will not be hastened by 



ignoring hifl work or by refusing to listen to his evidence. You will have 

 to nivc 1 1 1 > some preconceived ideas, well fortified behind 'common sense' 

 though they may appear to be. You will have to admit among other things 

 that, .is the sky overhead is blue, the skyshine on the snow is blue, 

 tliat I he sky is lighter at the horizon than at the zenith, and that on a 

 moonless nighl the sky is the lightest and therefore the whitest object to 

 be seen. When you have examined Mr. Thayer's evidence impartially 

 and iinderstandingly, and have accepted the most of it, as I am sure you 

 will do, then yon will be in a much better position to arrive at a proper 

 conclusion in regard to his theories than some of his most active critics are 

 now in. 1 thank yon, Mr. Editor and gentlemen, 

 yours very truly. 



Francis If. Allen. 

 Wesl Etoxbury, Mass. 

 Feb. 14, 1913. 



[The editor regrets exceedingly that in going through the press the clause, 

 referred to was accidentally omitted from one of his quotations. He feels 

 however that it in no way affects the point he was trying to make clear, 

 i. e., that the one statement could not be called a misquotation of the 

 other. Indeed in as much as the omission makes the two quotations less 

 alike, it really weakens his contention. 



As the discussion on Concealing Coloration has already been unduly pro- 

 longed it seems desirable to close it at this point. 



Witmeb Stone.] 



