CONSPICUOUS COLOUR 27 



conspicuous, unless contradicted by the habits 

 of the animal. 



Blue. Blue, in Nature, is found in the sky 

 and in its reflection in water and snow. If 

 white animals are seldom, if ever, inconspicuous 

 against the white (light grey) of the sky, then 

 blue animals can never be in harmony with 

 the blue of the sky. The amount of blue 

 light coming from a blue sky is enormous 

 compared to the amount coming from an 

 object coloured even very light blue, and 

 placed in the brightest sunlight. 



It is therefore impossible for a terrestrial 

 animal coloured blue (a blue butterfly for 

 instance) ever to be in harmony with a blue 

 sky. Blue, used protectively, is however 

 found in oceanic fishes inhabiting the surface 

 of the water ; as a rule their dorsal surfaces 

 are coloured blue, in harmony with the low- 

 toned blue of very deep water as it is seen 

 from above. Now the blue of these fish is 

 not less brilliant than the blue found in 

 terrestrial animals ; and as this blue harmonises 

 with the low-toned blue of the sea, it cannot, 

 in terrestrial animals, ever harmonise with the 

 intensely high-toned blue of the sky. It thus 

 appears that the blue of terrestrial animals is 

 not protective ; and if not protective, it must 



