BLACK

, a colour so called, or rather a privation of all colour. This, it seems, arises from such a peculiar texture and situation of the superficial parts of a black body, that they absorb all or most of the rays of light, reflecting little or none to the eye: and hence it happens that black bodies, thus imbibing the rays, are always found to be hotter than those of a lighter colour. Dr. Franklin observes that black cloaths heat more, and dry sooner in the sun than white cloaths; that therefore black is a bad colour for cloaths in hot climates; but a fit colour for the linings of ladies' summer hats; | and that a chimney painted black, when exposed to the sun, will draw more strongly. Franklin's Experim. &c.—Dr. Watson, the present bishop of Landaff, covered the bulb of a thermometer with a black coating of Indian ink, and the consequence was that the mercury rose 10 degrees higher. Philos. Trans. vol. 63, pa. 40.—And a virtuoso of unsuspected credit assured Mr. Boyle, that in a hot climate by blacking the shells of eggs, and exposing them to the sun, he had seen them thus well roasted in a short time.