ON ACCIDENTAL OR SUBJECTIVE COLORS. 249 



lashes somewhat short. The bulb and the cornea are very little arched, and 

 the iris is throughout of a greenish blue, more deeply colored towards the 

 pupillary border, and sprinkled over wit^h yellowish points ; the pupil is normal 

 as to size and mobility. On the whole, the eye bears all the characters of a 

 sanguine temperament. My sight, excellent in youth, was much enfeebled 

 through being exerted by artificial light ; still I see very well both near and 

 distant (objects. Different degrees of intensity of light act upon my vision as 

 upon that of other persons. 



" The muscce volitantes whicli, for some ten years, have floated before my 

 view, alarmed me at first, because I took the phenomenon for a precursor of 

 amaurosis, but its stationary condition soon reassured me. There is no con- 

 nection, however, between this accident and the imperfection of my sight ia 

 regard to the distinction of colors ; for, as that imperfection existed from birth, 

 my associates remarked it as well as myself, and I still recall many a laughable 

 adventure to which it gave rise in ray childhood. 



" I can always distinguish, by daylight, yellow from blue, bright blue from 

 green, deep red from black ; the last I very well discriminate from bright 

 colors, but I often confound it with the dark green and blue. Yellow, black, 

 deep blue are for me the fundamental colors. Although I well perceive a dif- 

 ference between the colors often presented to me, yet I could not undertake to 

 designate them by name without risk of committing an error. If I hold beside 

 one another a leaf and a stick of sealing wax, I recognize very clearly the 

 difference of intensity in the two colors, but I could not affirm that one of the 

 objects is green, the other red, if the object itself did not enable me to divine 

 it. Blue, not deep, and red, not intense, have for me a great resemblance. 

 Placed near one another, the bright brown which approaches yellow, green 

 somewhat deep, and red of a decided hue, all seem to me shades of one and the 

 same color. I confound blue with red, green with brown, orange with bright 

 brown, and a multitude of other compound colors. Crimson, purple, lilac, 

 flame color, &c., I know only by name, and it is not possible to convey to me 

 the least idea of them, though of course I have often had these colors before 

 my eyes. In general, I cannot retain colors, and if a series of them were 

 shown me and their names indicated, I should almost certainly be mistaken in 

 recounting them if their positions were altered. 



" I remember that on meeting, one day, a lady wearing a blue hat ornamented 

 with roses, I could make no distinction between the hat and the roses, but thought 

 both red. At another time, when walking out, a shower of rain came on, and a 

 multitud^of red umbrellas (then in fashion) were raised; to me they all appeared 

 of the same color with the sky. I confound constantly the colors of dress, and of 

 flowers, and there is not a tint which does not recall some ludicrous mistake 

 which it has occasioned me to make. The impositions to which I am thus ex- 

 posed, the fear of being charged with singularity, cause me to use much reserve 

 in the indication of colors, and to call to my help all the particulars which may 

 enable me to determine their character. Many objects have each a specialty 

 of color, which preserves mc from making as many blunders as might be sup- 

 posed. Thus, usually the garb of a huntsman may safely be called green; nor 

 can one be often deceived in speaking of tiles or flesh as red, or of the sky as 

 blue ; but if the least change of color occurs in these objects, my judgment is 

 directly and necessarily at fault. For the few colors Avhich I recognize I pos- 

 sess a good memory and distinct conception. Artificial light, however, confuses 

 for me all tints, and I cannot then venture to indicate colors which I recognize 

 well enough by the light of the sun. The landscape which Goethe caused to 

 be painted without any trace of blue, and which, he maintained, ought to appear 

 entirely proper to an akyanopist, had nothing unnatural to me ; I should not 

 even have remarked the complete absence of blue had I not been previously 

 apprised of it The rainbow seems to me composed of blue and yellow ; I 



