392 



NA TURE 



[August 22, 1895 



showing the simplicity of the proposed nomenclature and method 

 of expressing the results of aiialysis. 



The first series illustrates the variability of the pigments used 

 by artists. These analyses are made by Sir. Bradley. 



A Winsor and Newton "cinnalar green" gives — V 14, 

 G iiJ, N74i- 



.\ tlerman pigment of the same name gives — V 12J, G 11, 

 W 2. N 74i- 



.\ W insor and Newton " light red ' gives — O 24, N 76. 



.\ licrman pigment of the same name gives — O iS, N 82. 



A Winsor and Newton "chrome yellow" gives — O 29, 



\ German pigment of the same name gives — O 35, \ 45, 

 N 20. 



A Chinese vermilion gives — R 77, O 23. 



.\ yellow ochre gives — O 24, V 24, N 52. 



.\n Indian red gives — R 7^, O 17^, N 75. 



An emerald green gives — G 63, B 144, N 22J. 



One calle<l "chrome green" No. 2 gives — G i6.\, V 55, 

 N 7Si. 



The following series illustrates the significance of the terms 

 used in describing the colours of dress goods. .\ ver)' wide 

 range of tints and shades of the colour which is the basis of 

 each term will often be designated by the same name. 



.\ sample of goods called "ecru" is — O 11, V 13, \V 18, 

 N 58. 



Another sample marked "raisin" gives' — R 18, \' 14, W 5, 

 N 63. 



.\ sample called "ashes of roses" gives — R 8, \ 4, \\ 14, 

 N 74. 



The popular colour called "eminence" gives — R 14, \' 19, 

 N67. 



Another popular colour called "emerald" is — G 21, B 3, 

 N 76. 



.\ sample called "crushed strawberr)'" gives — R 55, O 5, 

 W 27, N II. 



One having the poetic name "absinthe" gives — Y 35, t; 45^, 

 N 19J. 



.Vnother called " .Marion" gives — R 4, O 3, N 93. 



.A s|)ecimcn of " hussar blue" gives this— G 4, B 15, N 81. 



.\ sample called "oasis" gives the formula — V 7, G io.\, 

 \V 8.i, N 74. 



.\nother called " dove colour" gives — B 9, \V 9, X 82. 



Still another, called " prairie," gives — V loj, K'> 14^, N 75. 



.\ colour called " .Styx ' has this formula — R9i, W 214, N 69. 



A sample of " peacock blue " gives this — G 4A, B 8J, N 87. 



A brown, calle<I " vidette," gives this — O 44, V 3, N 924. 



A sample of " navy blue " gives — H 6, N 94. 



Another of " Turkey red " gives — K 98, O 2. 



.\ rather dark "plum colour" gives — 1< 3, V 4, N 93. 



.\ few analyses of flowers will be of interest to others beside 

 the Ixjtanist. 



The Fringed I'olygala (P. paiuifolia) is — R 48, V 52. 



The Wistaria ( /r. /r/i/crav;^) gives — for the wings R II, V 

 89 ; and for the slanilard R 9, \' 79, W 1 2. 



The Flowering (Juince (Cvaliw/'a /a/oH/Va) gives — R 95, V 2, 



The wild Cranesbill (OVrawcw/z/wacM/a/H///) gives — R 28, \ 66, 

 W6. 



The Fosythia (/". viridissima) is pure s|x;ctrum yellow. 

 The variations of foliage are worthy of note, and a few 

 examples of analyses of the colour of various leaves will perhaps 

 l)e of interest. 



It is |x>ssible that some knowledge of these variations on the 

 [art of more of our artists might save us some of the aUinunnble 

 greens which w> iiften apjx^ar in |xiintings, otherwise t»f an 

 excellent grade. 



Leaves of the White Oak give V 74, G 114. N 81. 

 „ ,, Apple are— V 5, G 13, W 2, N 80. 



,, ,, Cop|)cr Beech give — R 17, V 2, N Si. 



., Hemlock Spruce — V 2, G 9, N 89. 

 ,, White I'inc give— V 24, G II, N 864. 

 „ White Hirch give-V 54, G 114, W i, N 82. 

 „ ,, Ilornlieam VJ54. G 124, N 82. 



„ Shaglark Hickory -V 44, «i 94, N 86. 

 With diKs made in the spectrum standards colour can thus 

 Ijc analyMd and the results, expressed as in the examples just 

 given, can l>e utiliserl by any numl>cr of |K.Tsons to determine the 

 particular cokjur alNiut which a statement is made. .\s these 

 ditcs are not cx|>cn»ivc, and the means of rotating them very 



simple, they ought to come into ver)- general use. It is only 

 necessar)' that they be rotated with sufficient rapidity to cause 

 the colours to blend smoothly. For the purposes of studying 

 the harmony and contrast of colour it is desirable to have discs 

 of several sizes, so that two or three combinations of colour may 

 be made uixm the colour-wheel at the same time ami compared. 



Among the practical applications of surli a scheme of spectrum 

 standards as that outlined in the preceding jxiragraphs, some of 

 the most obvious are the only ones which need be mentioned in 

 this connection. 



A firm dealing in large quantities of coloured material desires 

 to order a stock in a particular colour which they ha\e not used, 

 and of wliich they have therefore no s;iniples. By the old 

 method they must find something as nearly like what is desired 

 as possible, and then dictate as best they can just what varia- 

 tions are to be made. Now they can produce the colour with 

 the discs and send the formula only to their manufacturer, who 

 also has a set of the discs, and he " sets up the colour " and 

 then reproduces it in the material desired. The gain is great iiv 

 several ways. In the first place it saves the dealer much costly 

 experiment to determine just what he really wants. Again, if 

 he is in doubt as to just what a customer wants, he takes him to 

 his colour wheel and ascertains what the desired colour is, and 

 then communicates it to the manufacturer. The architect may 

 spend much lime and eflort to have his carefully- [ilanned and 

 beaulifid villa painted in colours which will be at once in keeping 

 with the style of architecture and the surroundings of the build- 

 ing ; but unless he confine himself to colours ready prepared and 

 of certain composition, he is liable to extreme disai')pointment. .\ 

 similar use of the colour wheel with standard discs would greatly 

 reduce his difficulties. The artist who accustoms himself to the 

 analysis of colour efi'ects will soon find that he is able to write 

 estimated formul.v which will be of service to him in the sub- 

 sequent com|X)sition of his observations. Alxive all, the child 

 who is thoroughly educated in any scheme of colours which has 

 a definite b,isis, and consists of a well-selected series of standards, 

 is starting with a most valuable groundwork for future knowledge 

 and jiractice. Hence it is that the intro<luction of systematic 

 colour work into the kindergarten and primary school has so 

 much of encouragement to those who desire a reformation in the 

 use of the teims which describe colour perceptions. Why may 

 we not hope for the time when a system of colour terms with 

 something of the same definiteness as those used in music shall 

 be in common use? Surely there is need of this, and the time is 

 not far distant when this need will so assert itself as to bring 

 about a revolution in our methods of colour education. 



Maiden, Miiss., U.S..\. J. II. l'ii.i.sBURV. 



NO. 1347. VOL. 52] 



Globular Lightning. 



On June 21, about 6 p.m.. Dr. Wallis, Mr. Taylor and 

 myself were in our drawing-room on the ground floor, taking 

 shelter from a passing storm ; they were seated, and I stood five 

 paces from them. The doors were all closeil at;ainst the storm, 

 and I went out and, fir cool air, opened one. (In returning, I 

 s;iw a gloliiilar light, abo it the size of the full moon, in the air 

 between Wallis and Taylor, and almost instantly I heard in the 

 room a terrific clap of thunder like a cannon. I suffered 

 afterwards from acute jxtin down the left side of my face. 

 Taylor, who h.id an iron-headed golf stick in his hand, felt a 

 twinge up his right arm, and a sensation as of singeing in his hair. 

 Wallis fell nothing at all. We all experienced a sulphurous 

 smell. In the adjoining room, leaning against one corner, «ere 

 two Martini- Henry rifles in leathei: casesr One was untouched. 

 The sliKk of the other was almost shattered, splinters lying 

 about the room. The leather covering of the splintered rifle 

 was torn, but the metal part of the rifle quite uiduirl. .\t the 

 ixiint of the w.all where the muzzle of the shattered rifle touched 

 ihe wall, there was a hoh- 5 x 24 and iJ| to 2 inches deep. 

 The wall is of mud and plaster. In the room above were two 

 holes in one wall ; that is, the wall above that in wliich the hole 

 appeared below. These holes were smaller than the one below, 

 lust below the two holes stood a wooden case, iron-bound, and 

 at its foot the matting was lorn up, but the floor and the case were 

 untouched. In the second room alxne, that is, the room over 

 that in which I had seen the globular lightning, the wall near the 

 ceiling was cracked for six or eight feet. This «.as all the 

 damage done that we could find. G. M. Rvan. 



Karachi, July 18. 



[The alM)ve letter w.as received from Mr. F. C. Constable, 

 who .saw Ihe damage dcscrilied. — Kli. Nai I'RK.] 



