CONSPICUOUS COLOUR Qi 
conspicuous, unless contradicted by the habits 
of the animal. 
Blue.—Blue, in Nature, is found in the sky 
and in its reflection in water and snow. If 
white animals are seldom, if ever,inconspicuous 
against the white (light grey) of the sky, then 
blue animals can never be in harmony with 
the blue of the sky. The amount of blue 
light coming from a blue sky is enormous 
compared to the amount coming from an 
object coloured even very light blue, and 
placed in the brightest sunlight. 
It is therefore impossible for a terrestrial 
animal coloured blue (a blue butterfly for 
instance) ever to be in harmony with a blue 
sky. Blue, used protectively, is however 
found in oceanic fishes inhabiting the surface 
of the water; as a rule their dorsal surfaces 
are coloured blue, in harmony with the low- 
toned blue of very deep water as it is seen 
from above. Now the blue of these fish is 
not less brilliant than the blue found in 
terrestrial animals ; and as this blue harmonises 
with the low-toned blue of the sea, it cannot, 
in terrestrial animals, ever harmonise with the 
intensely high-toned blue of the sky. It thus 
appears that the blue of terrestrial animals is 
not protective ; and if not protective, it must 
