CONCERNING EYES 181 



pucherani. Violent emotions are associated in our 

 minds possibly, also, in the minds of other spe- 

 cies with certain colors. Bright red seems the 

 appropriate hue of anger the poet Herbert even 

 calls the rose "angrie and brave" on account of 

 its hue and the red or orange certainly expresses 

 resentment better than the dark eye. Even a very 

 slight spontaneous variation in the coloring of the 

 irides might give an advantage to an individual 

 for natural selection to act on ; for we can see in 

 almost any living creature that not only in its 

 perpetual metaphorical struggle for existence is 

 its life safeguarded in many ways ; but when pro- 

 tective resemblances, flight, and instincts of con- 

 cealment all fail, and it is compelled to engage in 

 a real struggle with a living adversary, it is pro- 

 vided for such occasions with another set of de- 

 fenses. Language and attitudes of defiance come 

 into play; feathers or hairs are erected; beaks 

 snap and strike, or teeth are gnashed, and the 

 mouth foams or spits ; the body puffs out ; wings 

 are waved or feet stamped on the ground, and 

 many other intimidating gestures of rage are prac- 

 tised. It is not possible to believe that the color- 

 ing of the crystal globes, towards which an op- 

 ponent's sight is first directed, and which most 

 vividly exhibit the raging emotions within, can 

 have been entirely neglected as a means of defense 

 by the principle of selection in nature. For all 

 these reasons I believe the bright-colored eye is an 

 improvement on the dark eye. 



