VII] EFFECT OF COLOURS 69 



most attractive colours to Anopheles maculipennis, whilst 

 yellow, white, and orange seemed to repel the insects. His 

 experiment is of sufficient interest to be reproduced in detail : 

 " To test the influence of colour a number of pasteboard 

 boxes were taken, which measured 20 by 16 cms. and had a 

 depth of 10 cms. The boxes were lined with cloth, having a 

 slightly roughened surface, to which the insects could com- 

 fortably cling. All of the fabrics had a dull not shiny- 

 surface, and each box was lined with cloth of a different colour. 

 The boxes were placed in rows upon the floor and upon each 

 other in tiers, the order being changed each day after the 

 observations had been made. The interior of the boxes was 

 moderately illuminated by light reflected from the surface of 

 the white tent. On 17 days during a month beginning with 

 the middle of June, we counted the number of flies which had 

 accumulated in the boxes. Counts were actually made on 

 17 sunny and cloudy days, and with the following result 



Number of A, maculipennis counted 

 Colour of box in each box during 17 days 



Navy blue . . . . . . . . . . 108 



Dark red . . . . . . . . . . 90 



Brown (reddish) .. .. .. .. 81 



Scarlet . . . . . . . . . . 59 



Black 49 



Slate grey 31 



Dark green (olive) . . . . . . . . 24 



Violet 18 



Leaf green . . . . . . . . . . 17 



Blue . . . . 14 



Pearl grey . . . . . . . . . . 9 



Pale green . . . . . . . . . . 4 



Light blue (forget-me-not) . . . . 3 



Ochre 2 



White ',* 2 



Orange . . . . . . . . . . i 



Yellow . . . . . . . . . . o 



512 



"It is evident, therefore, that white or khaki-coloured 

 clothing is the most suitable in regions where mosquitoes are 

 troublesome " 



