158 Transactions.— Miscellaneous. 
appear to have reached the third stage of colour-sense development, when 
all at once the arrival of Europeans revealed to them the entire scale of 
colours possessed by the highest races of mankind. But although even 
elderly natives can now readily distinguish blue and brown, as distinct 
from each other, and from black, I do not think that any of the race see 
violet, magenta, orange, or any of the paler tints of any colour as we do. I 
have already alluded to the esthetic taste of the Maori; their employment 
of such colours as they knew—red, black, and white—in scroll-painting and 
other kinds of decorative art, never offended the eye, and the effect produced 
was always pleasing. But no one can say so now their range of colours is so 
much wider. 
They seem to have lost all sense of harmony in colouring, and to be 
blind to the hideous effects their false combinations produce. While only a 
few have had an opportunity of seeing the glaring mistakes made by the 
uninstructed native painters, in the use of varied colours, most persons 
have had an opportunity of observing the incongruous colours in which a 
Maori belle arrays herself, when seeking to attract admiration in our streets. 
Her mode of adornment proves that her sense of colour is still very defec- 
tive. She knows each colour by name, but she has an imperfect mental 
conception of it, and therefore cannot realize what a fright she makes 
herself by wearing colours that will not harmonize. 
The sensations produced by colours upon the organs of the colour-blind, 
are thus described by Mr. Pole :—‘‘ They see white, and black, and grey, 
just like other people, provided they are free from alloy with other colours. 
Yellow and blue they see, if unalloyed; and these are the only two, except- 
ing black and white, of which they have any sensation. Red is merely 
yellow, shaded with black or grey ; and green, orange, and violet, are con- 
founded with black, red, white, and grey." 
On comparing Mr. Pole's remarks with the evidence submitted in this 
paper, it will be seen that the Maoris were not colour-blind. For although, 
in common with the colour-blind, they confounded the lighter tints of several 
different colours, they, unlike them, could distinguish red and green, and 
were blind to blue. 
The rapidity with which they have learnt to distinguish the colours un- 
recognized by them till pointed out by Europeans, seems to indicate that 
their want of previous perception was not the result of imperfect organ- 
ization, but only of imperfect education. The only apparent difference 
between the Maori organ for discerning colour and that of the European 
was, that it was less cultivated. 
