ACCIDENTAL COLOURS. 407 



Q. If we look at a nun-hot FIRE for a few 

 minutes, WHY does every thing seem TINGED with a 



BLUISH GREEN Colour ? 



A. Because bluish green is the 

 " ACCIDENTAL COLOUR" of red : and if 

 we fix our eye upon any colour whatsoever, 

 when we turn aside, we see every object 

 tinged with its accidental colour. 



Q. If we wear BLUE GLASSES, (when we take 

 them qffj every thing appears tinged with ORANGE, 

 WHY is this ? 



A. Because orange is the "accidental 

 colour 1 of blue : and if we look through 

 blue (/lasses, we shall see its " accidental 

 colour," when we lay our glasses aside. 



Q. If we look at the SUN for a Jew moments, 

 every thing seems tinged with a VIOLET colour, 

 WHY is this ? 



A. Because violet is the " accidental 

 colour" of yellow light ; and as the sun is 

 yellow, we shall see its "accidental colour" 

 blue, when we turn from gazing at it. 



Q. Does not the DARK SHADOW (which seems 

 to hang over every thing after we turn from looking 

 at the sun) arise from our eyes being DAZZLED ? 



A. Partly so : the pupil of the eye is 

 very much contracted by the brilliant light 



