VIl] 



EFFECT OF COLOURS 



69 



most attractive colours to Anopheles maculipennis, whilst 

 yellow, white, and orange seemed to repel the insects. His 

 experiment is of sufficient interest to be reproduced in detail : 

 " To test the influence of colour a number of pasteboard 

 boxes were taken, which measured 20 by 16 cms. and had a 

 depth of 10 cms. The boxes were lined with cloth, having a 

 slightly roughened surface, to which the insects could com- 

 fortably cling. All of the fabrics had a dull — not shiny — 

 surface, and each box was lined with cloth of a different colour. 

 The boxes were placed in rows upon the floor and upon each 

 other in tiers, the order being changed each day after the 

 observations had been made. The interior of the boxes was 

 moderately illuminated by light reflected from the surface of 

 the white tent. On 17 days during a month beginning with 

 the middle of June, we counted the number of flies which had 

 accumulated in the boxes. Counts were actually made on 

 17 sunny and cloudy days, and with the following result : 



Colour of box 



Number of A. maculipennis counted 

 in each box during 17 daj^s 



Navy blue . . 



Dark red 



Brown (reddish) 



Scarlet 



Black 



Slate grey 



Dark green (olive) . . 



Violet 



Leaf green . . 



Blue 



Pearl grey . . 



Pale green . . 



Light blue (forget-me-not) 



Ochre 



White 



Orange 



Yellow 



108 

 90 

 81 

 .59 

 49 

 31 

 24 

 18 



17 

 14 

 9 

 4 

 3 

 2 



512 



" It is evident, therefore, that white or khaki-coloured 

 clothing is the most suitable in regions where mosquitoes are 

 troublesome." 



