19 



the xanthic coinprisinu' green, yellow, orange, scarlet, etc., 

 etc., all containing some yellow, and therefore making the 

 designation quite a})propriate, while the cyanic or blue 

 series, beginning as in the xanthic with green and yellow, 

 would diverge at this i)oint and continue through white, 

 red, crimson, pur})le and violet to blue ; or white might 

 immediatel}^ follow green, in which case yellow as a rule 

 would be excluded from the series. 



Numerous browns, brown-purples and similar shades 

 wt)uld not be in either direct line, but might be considered 

 as early digressions from the regular gamuts. 



Although the progression of each series is given from the 

 lighter to the darker tints, it should be remembered that the 

 reversed order would be just as natural and just as primary, 

 as Nature has no hard and fast rule regarding color'. Each 

 series also is stated in a definite sequence, not because it is 

 an invariable rule, but because ])roken links of the chain 

 conq)r4sing two, or occasionally three colors, may be found, 

 which united will make a complete series. 



To illustrate, there are many si)ecies in Borraginacea\ 

 having flowers which expand of a pink or light crimson 

 color, but (juickly and regularly change to })urple or blue : 

 and white flowers are very a})t to become pink, while the 

 white color itself fre(]ucntly can. be traced to a previous 

 yellow ; so that the order is yellow, white, red, pur[)le. 

 This succession of colors may occasionally l)e noticed in a 

 single flower, as in the (.'hinese primrose ; it has a green 

 eye, changing more or less distinctly to yellow, the other 

 part of the flower has become white quite likely, but not 

 necessarily, from a previous yellow like the eye, the latter 

 being the honey-guide relfc which will be particularly dis- 

 cussed in the second chapter. This same white flower often 

 turns crimson and in fading becomes a blue-purple. But 

 while this order ap[)ears to be very connnon, as a matter of 

 fact every color may spring directly from white. Scores of 

 species are known only as white or blue, white or red. 



