68 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [JANUARY 
A new color guide.—Several years ago I was appointed on a committee, 
with Dr. A. W. Murritt and the late Dr. L. M. UNpERWoop, by the American 
Mycological Society (now united with the Botanical Society of America) to pre- 
pare a color guide adequate to the needs of botanists and mycologists. After 
working on it for about two years I learned of a similar work in preparation by 
Dr. Rospert Rmpeway, the well-known ornithologist and author of a nomenclature 
of colors (1886) which contains 186 colors, shades, and tints. After a consultation 
with Dr. Rrpeway, and later with the other members of the committee, it was 
decided to leave the field of color work to him. I am now glad to announce that 
Dr. Rrpcway has been particularly fortunate in securing competent publishers, 
who state that the work will probably be ready in about six months. The chemist — 
of the firm is an expert in colors, and has in fact been engaged at odd times for 
several years in preparing for a similar work. Dr. Rrpcway has been at the 
revision of his old work, as his time would permit, for about twenty years, and it 
is safe to say that no similar work has ever been prepared with the same degree 
of physical and mathematical precision. This will be better understood by those 
familiar with MicHELSON’s interferometer (an instrument by which it is possible 
to measure the wave-lengths of all light colors in millionths of a millimeter) when 
it is stated that each primary and secondary color in this work is a composite 
resulting from the measurement, in wave-lengths of light, of each color as repre- 
sented in nine standard works upon the subject, the measurements being made 
by Professor P. G. Nurtine of the U. S. Bureau of Standards. 
The work will contain 64 plates, each with 27 blocks of color, in three TOwSs 
of nine blocks each, or a total of about 1350 blocks, the blocks being 1-25 by 
2.5°™, as in RrpGway’s first color work. These will be named so far as possible, 
it being manifestly impossible to name all of them satisfactorily; and in addition 
the horizontal rows will be numbered and the vertical rows lettered, intermediate 
figures and letters between each row being used to represent intermediate shades 
or tints when that degree of accuracy is necessary. Instead of the degree of 
variation between blocks of color in various parts of the work being very unequal, 
as in all previous color guides of any size, the intermediate shades, tints, and hues 
are determined by a uniform scale of percentages by the use of MAXWELL’S color 
wheel. There will be a probable edition of 2,500 copies, the volumes being about 
14 by 20°™, and 2.5°™ thick. For field use it is expected about 800 of these copies 
will have their margins trimmed and be bound in flexible leather binding, easily 
fitting a coat pocket. The price with board covers will be about $5.00. 
only work extant which approaches this in any respect is the Répertoire de couleurs 
of the Société Frangaise de Chrysanthémistes, containing 1385 color shades and 
tints, of which only about 365 are named, and no method is provided for designat — 
ing the others. It consists of two bulky volumes of loose plates in portfolios; 
many of the intermediate shades, tints, and hues are too near alike; and a PTO 
hibitive import duty brings the price in this country to about $10.00. The papet 
is too heavy, and its form entirely unsuited for field work.—P. L. RICKER, Bureau 
of Plant Industry, Washington, D. C. 
