ON FLORAL ATTRACTIVENESS AND COLOUR 91 



this were the first time that I had been amongst this 

 Gentian ; many times before, and in many districts, 

 had I passed through quantities of it ; but never 

 had 1 seen any variation except in the depth 

 and brightness of the blue, and never before had 

 I experienced the sensation of the near presence 

 of its white form. Nor can 1 recall any occasion 

 when this sensation has played me false. Over and 

 over again have I felt it, and with whatever plant 

 it has been associated it has invariably proved 

 truthfully prophetic. Will coincidence or luck 

 satisfactorily account for this ? I am unable to 

 think so, though I confess I must exclaim as 

 Faust does : 



" I^o ! here I sit no wiser than before"! 



But now that we are thus far, let us grope a 

 little further within the dim-lit domain of sub- 

 consciousness ; I would fain touch upon a matter 

 closely allied to the foregoing — that of the signifi- 

 cance of the colour of flowers, and the part played 

 by colour in the sympathy existing between the 

 flowers and ourselves. Let us first of all speculate 

 briefly upon the significance of floral colouring. 

 Speaking vaguely — and who can speak with any 

 very great distinctness ? — colour is one of many 



