Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 006.djvu/310

 of Rain, is also from hence evident. For, those drops, which refract the Rays, disposed to appear purple, in greatest quantity to the Spectators eye, refract the Rays of other sorts so much less, as to make them pass beside it; and such are the drops on the inside of the Primary Bow, and on the outside of the Secondary or Exteriour one. So those drops, which refract in greatest plenty the Rays, apt to appear red, toward the Spectators eye, refract those of other sorts so much more, as to make them pass beside it; and such are the drops on the exteriour part of the Primary, and interiour part of the Secondary Bow.

11. The odd Phænomena of an infusion of Lignum Nephriticum, Leaf gold, Fragments of coloured glass, and some other transparently coloured bodies, appearing in one position of one colour, and of another in another, are on these grounds no longer riddles. For, those are substances apt to reflect one sort of light and transmit another; as may be seen in a dark room, by illuminating them, with similar or uncompounded light. For, then they appear of that colour only, with which they are illuminated, but yet in one position more vivid and luminous than in another, accordingly as they are disposed more or less to reflect or transmit the incident colour.

12. From hence also is manifest the reason of an unexpected Experiment, which Mr. Hook somewhere in his Micrography relates to have made with two wedg-like transparent vessels, fill'd the one with a red, the other with a blew liquor: namely, that though they were severally transparent enough, yet both together became opake; For, if one transmitted only red, and the other only blew, no rays could pass through both.

13. I might add more instances of this nature, but I shall conclude with this general one, that the Colours of all natural Bodies have no other origin than this, that they are variously qualified to reflect one sort of light in greater plenty then another. And this I have experimented in a dark Room by illuminating those bodies with uncompounded light of divers colours. For by that means any body may be made to appear of any colour. They have there no appropriate colour, but ever appear of the colour of the light cast upon them, but yet with this difference, that they are most brisk and vivid in the light of their own daylight-colour. Minium appeareth there of any colour indifferently, with which 'tis illustrated, but yet most luminous in red, and so