No. 3. J SEXUAL SELECTION IX SPIDERS. 131 



also in many luiinming-birds and in some sun-birds and honey 

 suckers, all of which are remarkable for their activity. 



This is surely a very small amount of evidence for so wide 

 a generalization. The weak spot in tlie argument, however, 

 is not that Mr. Wallace gives but few instances of this combina- 

 tion of color with activity, for he might easily have multiplied 

 them ; but that he takes no notice of the numerous cases which 

 are completely at variance with his theory. A fair consideration 

 of these cases shows that there is no relation whatever between 

 bright color and activity. Look, on the one hand, at the 

 numerous groups of birds that are not especiallj^ active and yet 

 are gorgeously decorated with colored plumes, crests and 

 ruffs, and on the other at the still larger number that have 

 scarcely any ornamental plumage and yet are endowed, with 

 enormous strength and activity. In the former class we find 

 the gaudy parrots, including several hundred species, among 

 which are the cockatoos, with their enormous crests; the clumsy 

 barbets, with their sky-blue, green, yellow and crimson plumage ; 

 the slow, majestic, crowned pigeon, the crested hoopoos, the 

 short-legged and clumsy hornbills ; the brilliant todies, some of 

 which are so inactive that they may be caught with the hand; 

 the sluggish, stupid jacamars, whose brilliant, metallic, golden- 

 green breasts I'ival those of the humming-birds ; the magnifi- 

 cently colored toucans, which, although they can move with 

 considerable agility among the branches, are heavy and awk. 

 ward in flight ; the dull, stupid puff-birds, which are often gaily 

 colored, and the extremely sluggish and stupid gapers, which 

 are adorned with tiie most brilliant and conspicuous tints; 

 while the latter class would include the hawks, eagles and 

 falcons, which occasionally have crests, but are lacking in bright 

 color, and are certainly not remarkable for ornamental plumage; 

 the gulls, terns, albatrosses and petrels, and, most remarkable of 

 all, the swallows. In this group, of about one hundred species, 

 we find an activity that is unequalled in the whole order of 

 birds. They fiy with astonishing velocity, often passing and 

 repassing a railroad train going at full speed ; they scarcely 

 ever perch to rest; their temperature is the highest known 



