VOL. LXVII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TKANSACTIONS. 143 



solution. Heavy thunder-showers are the most remarkable instances of partial, 

 sudden, and copious precipitations. 



Xlf^. Of Persons ivho couldnotDistinguish Colours. By Mr. J. Huddart. p. 260. 



The chief subject of this paper, was one Harris, who lived at Mary-port, in 

 Cumberland, near which place, viz. at Allonby, Mr. Huddart lived. Mr. H. 

 had often heard from others that Harris could discern the form and magnitude 

 of all objects very distinctly, but could not distinguish colours. This report 

 having excited Mr. H.'s curiosity, he conversed with him frequently on the 

 subject. The account he gave was this : that he had reason to believe other 

 persons saw something in objects which he could not see ; that their language 

 seemed to mark qualities with confidence and precision, wliich he could only 

 guess at with hesitation, and frequently with error. His first suspicion of this 

 arose when he was about 4 years old. Having by accident found in the street a 

 child's stocking, he carried it to a neighbouring house to inquire for the owner : 

 he observed the people called it a red stocking, though lie did not understand 

 why they gave it that denomination, as he himself thought it completdy 

 described by being called a stocking. The circumstance however remained in 

 his memory, and with other subsequent observations led him to the knowledge 

 of his defect. He observed also that, when young, other children could dis- 

 cern cherries on a tree by some pretended difference of colour, though he could 

 only distinguish them from the leaves by their difference of size and shape. He 

 observed also, that by means of this difference of colour they could see the 

 cherries at a greater distance than he could, though he could see other objects 

 at as great a distance as they ; that is, where the sight was not assisted 

 by the colour. Large objects he could see as well as other persons ; and even 

 the smaller ones if they were not enveloped in other things, as in the case of 

 cherries among the leaves. 



Mr. H. believes he could never do more than guess the name of any colour ; 

 yet he could distinguish white from black, or black from any light or bright 

 colour. Dove or straw-colour he called white, and different colours he fre- 

 quently called by the same name : yet he could discern a difference between 

 them when placed together. In general, colours of an equal degree of bright- 

 ness, however they might otherwise differ, he frequently confounded together. 

 Yet a striped ribbon he could distinguish from a plain one ; but he could not 

 tell what the colours were with any tolerable exactness. Dark colours in general 

 he often mistook for black, but never imagined white to be a dark colour, nor 

 a dark to be a white colour. 



He had 2 brothers in the same circumstances as to sight; and 2 other brothers 

 and sisters who, as well as their parents, had nothing of this defect. One of 



