146 BIRDS AND MAN 



literature, in the fables of antiquity, in the tales 

 and folk-lore of all nations, civilised and barbarous. 



I think that we can more quickly recognise this 

 human interest in a flower, due to its colour, and 

 best appreciate its aesthetic value from this cause, 

 when we turn from the blues, purples, and reds, 

 to the whites and the yellows. The feeling these 

 last give us is distinctly different in character from 

 that produced by the others. They are not like 

 us, nor like any living sentient thing we are related 

 to : there is no kinship, no human quality. 



When I say " no kinship, no human quality," 

 I refer to flowers that are entirely pure white or 

 pure yellow ; in some dull or impure yellows, and 

 in white and yellow flowers that have some tinge 

 or mixture of red or purple, we do get the expres- 

 sion of the red and purple flower. The crystalline 

 and snow white of the whitest flowers do indeed 

 resemble the white of the eyeballs and the teeth 

 in human faces ; but we may see that this human 

 white colour by itself has no human association 

 in a flower. 



The whiteness of the white flower where there 

 is any red is never unhuman, probably because 

 a very brilliant red or rose colour on some delicate 

 skins causes the light flesh-tints to appear white 



