How to Use “Color Standards and 
Nomenclature’’ 
In making practical use of any color scheme that it is possible to devise, the 
user is necessarily at times confronted by two apparent difficulties: (1) The oeco« 
sional absence of some color that will precisely match the color of the object with 
which comparison is made, and (2) the circumstance that sometimes the color in the 
scheme, while the same in hue and tone, is not sufficiently bright or pure. Hut 
these difficulties are more apparent than real, and when the plan of arrangement of 
the colors in “Color Standards and Nomenclature” is fully understood they disap¬ 
pear altogether. In the first place, it should be understood that, in order to gain a 
clear understanding of the scheme, it is absolutely necessary to read the text, 
especially the second and third paragraphs on pages 8 and 9. 
When comparing a flower or other object with the colors on the plates the first 
step is to match the hue, that is to say, the position of the color in the spectrum 
scale. For example, if the color is red, first ascertain whether it is a true red (1 on 
Plate 1; 1'on Plate XIII; 1" on Plate XXVII; 1" ' on Plate XXXIX; orl" ,/ on 
Plate XLV, each of these representing true red with its gray tones), or a red (2, 3, 
2', 3', on the same plates, etc.) of more orange hue; or, one may first determine, by 
the relative brightness or dulness of the color, in which of the several series (1, V, 
l*, 1 " 1 * " , etc.) the color wanted should occur, and then determine the hue. 
If the color sought is not represented on any of the plates it must be an intermediate 
and the normal eye may readily fix its position, while the system of symbols (num¬ 
bers and letters) will enable one to designate it, as described on pages 8 and 9. 
Sometimes, especially among flowers, feathers, and silk fabrics, the color which 
it is sought to match is purer or more intense than any of the colors represented on 
the Plates. This is because no artificial coloring-matter is as pure as are some 
natural ones. The hue is precisely the same, however, and that is the point always 
to be kept in view. For example, the Cardinal Flower (Lobelia Cardinalis) is in 
hue pure spectrum red; but the color is deeper or more intense than the spectrum 
red of Plate I—as deep, in fact, as carmine (of the same Plate), but purer than the 
latter; its correct designation in description would be “intense spectrum red.” Such 
modification of color—that is, where the question of hue and shade or tint are not 
involved — are discussed on page 15 (topmost paragraph) of the text, where suitable 
adjectives are provided for the proper designation of such modifications. 
ROBERT RIDGWAY. 
Olney, Illinois. 
