36 Colouration in Animals and Plants. 



certain power of locomotion, this process is not carried to such 

 extremes, and the eye is left. 



Now, cases of this kind are important as illustrating the direct 

 connection between an active life and advancement ; and they also 

 add indirectly to the view Wallace takes of colouration, namely, 

 that the most brilliant colour is generally applied to the most highly 

 modified parts, and is brightest in the seasons of greatest activity. 



But they have a higher meaning also, for they may point us to 

 the prime cause of the divergence of the animal and vegetable 

 kingdoms. In thinking over this matter, one of us ventured to 

 suggest that probably the reason why animals dominate the world, 

 and not plants, is, that plants are, as a rule, stationary, and animals 

 lead an active existence. We can look back to the period prior to 

 the divergence of living protoplasm into the two kingdoms. Two 

 courses only were open to it, either to stay at home, and take what 

 came in its way, or to travel, and seek what was required. The 

 stay-at-homes became plants, and the gad-abouts animals. In a 

 letter it was thus put ; " It is a truly strange fact that a free-swim- 

 ming, sense-organ-bearing animal should degenerate into a fixed 

 feeding and breeding machine. It seems to me that the power of 

 locomotion is a sine qua non for active development of type, as it 

 necessarily sharpens the wits by bringing fresh experiences and 

 unlooked-for adventures to the creature. I almost think, and this, 

 I believe may be a great fundamental fact, that the only reason 

 why animals rule the world instead of plants is that plants elected 

 to stay at home, and animals did not. They had equal chances. 

 Both start as active elements ; the one camps down, and the other 

 looks about him." 



Talking over this question with Mr. Butler, he astonished the 

 writer by quoting from his work, "Alps and Sanctuaries" (p. 196), 

 the following passage : 



" The question of whether it is better to abide quiet, and take 

 advantage of opportunities that come, or to go farther afield in 

 search of them, is one of the oldest which living beings have to deal 

 with. It was on this that the first great schism or heresy arose in 

 what was heretofore the catholic faith of protoplasm. The schism 

 still lasts, and has resulted in two great sects animals and plants. 

 The opinion that it is better to go in search of prey is formulated in 

 animals ; the other that it is better, on the whole, to stay at home, 



