Chap. XIV. GKADATION OF CHARACTEKS. 147 



infer from traces of similar prolongations from the 

 succeeding upper spots ; but I do not feel sure of this. 

 These three marks, h, c, and d, with the intervening 

 bright shades, form together the so-called elliptic orna- 

 ment. These ornaments stand in a liue parallel to 

 the shaft, and manifestly correspond in position with the 

 ball-and-socket ocelli. Their extremely elegant appear- 

 ance cannot be appreciated in the drawing, as the orange 

 and leaden tints, contrasting so well with the black 

 marks, cannot be shewn. 



Between one of the elliptic ornaments and a perfect 

 ball-and-socket ocellus, the gradation is so perfect that 

 it is scarcely possible to decide when the latter term 

 ought to be used. I regret that I have not given an 

 additional drawing, besides fig. 58, which stands about 

 half-way in the series between one of the simple spots 

 and a perfect ocellus. The passage from the elliptic 

 ornament into an ocellus is effected by the elongation 

 and greater curvature in opposed directions of the lower 

 black mark {h), and more especially of the upper one 

 (c), together with the contraction of the irregular sub- 

 triangular or narrow mark (d), so that at last these 

 three marks become confluent, forming an ii'regular 

 elliptic ring. This ring is gradually rendered more 

 and more circular and regular, at the same time in- 

 creasing in diameter. Traces of the junction of all 

 three elongated spots or marks, especially of the two 

 upper ones, can still be observed in many of the most 

 perfect ocelli. The broken state of the black ring on 

 the upper side of the ocellus in fig. 56 was pointed 

 out. The irregular sub-triangular or narrow mark 

 (d) manifestly forms, by its contraction and equali- 

 sation, tlie thickened portion of the ring" on the left 

 upper side of the perfect ball-and-socket ocellus. The. 

 lower part of the ring is invariably a little thicker than 



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