1 58 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



appear to have reached the thh'd stage of colour-sense development, when 

 all at once the arrival of Europeans revealed to them the entu'e scale of 

 colours possessed by the highest races of mankhad. 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 aesthetic 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 then- 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 colom'-blind. For although, 

 in common with the colour-blind, they confomided 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 

 then- 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. 



