HOMOGENEOUS YELLOW LIGHT. 185 



will all be converted into one monotonous yellow. The 

 complexions of the parties too will suffer a corresponding 

 change. One pallid death-like yellow, 



-like the unnatural hue 



Which autumn plants upon the perished leaf, 



will envelop the young and the old, and the sallow faces 

 will alone escape from the metamorphosis. Each indi- 

 vidual derives merriment from the cadaverous appearance 

 of his neighbour, without being sensible that he is himself 

 one of the ghostly assemblage. 



If, in the midst of the astonishment which is thus 

 created, the white lights are restored at one end of the 

 room, while the yellow lights are taken to the other end, 

 one side of the dress of every person, namely, that next 

 the white light, will be restored to its original colours, 

 while the other side will retain its yellow hue. One 

 cheek will appear in a state of health and colour, while 

 the other retains the paleness of death, and, as the indi- 

 viduals change their position, they will exhibit the most 

 extraordinary transformations of colour. 



If, when all the lights are yellow, beams of white light 

 are transmitted through a number of holes like those in a 

 sieve, each luminous spot will restore the colour of the 

 dress or furniture upon which it falls, and the nankeen 

 family will appear all mottled over with every variety of 

 tint. If a magic lantern is employed to throw upon the 

 walls or upon the dresses of the company luminous figures 

 of flowers or animals, the dresses will be painted with 

 these figures in the real colour of the dress itself. Those 

 alone who appeared in yellow, and with yellow com- 

 plexions, will to a great degree escape all these singular 

 changes. 



If red and blue light could be produced with the same 

 facility and in the same abundance as yellow light, the 



o 



