4 COLOURS OF CLOUDS. CHAP. 2. 10. 



SECTION XVI. 



Of the Colours exhibited by Clouds. 



IT is an unfortunate circumstance, that there 

 are no words in common use for colours, in any- 

 known language, which are sufficiently expla- 

 natory. This circumstance arises probably from 

 the great variety of shades and combinations of 

 colours which flowers and other natural and 

 artificial productions every where display. 



Clouds, as is well known, refract and reflect 

 a great variety of beautiful tints, the shades of 

 which vary according to their relative position 

 with respect to the sun ; but the colour seems 

 also to depend on the kind of cloud, and the 

 degree of its density. The Wanecloud shows 

 the most beautiful and varied colours. Different 

 shades of purple, crimson, lake, and scarlet, are 

 the most common. The haze, with a horizontal 

 sun, refracts different colours at different times; 

 yellow, orange, more or less of a golden hue, 

 red, and lake, are the most common ; sometimes 

 I have seen the haze refract a brownish colour. 

 The colour varies upwards ; sometimes I have 

 seen several colours in the haze. Particulars of 



