In the natural world colour is obvious and its importance in advertising the presence of flowers to pollinators and in camouflage is well known‎.‎ In most cases the property of colour is due to the presence in the tissues of natural pigments‎.‎ But these pigments are of much greater importance than merely to give colour‎,‎ e‎.‎g‎.‎ the fundamental light‎-harvesting molecules of photosynthesis‎,‎ the light‎-detecting molecules of vision and haemoglobin in the blood‎.‎ This book describes the structures and properties of the main groups of natural pigments‎,‎ their distribution in Nature‎,‎ their biosynthesis and functions and their associated chemistry and biology‎.‎ Industrial applications‎,‎ and medical significance and uses‎,‎ of certain groups of pigments are outlined and some ecological aspects of colour and pigmentation are touched upon‎.‎ The book was written as a textbook for advanced undergraduates and graduate students and concentrates on the main features of each class of pigments and on general principles‎.‎