Chap. XIY.] GRADATION OF CHARACTERS. 



133 



progenitor of the peacock could not 'have resembled, 

 in any degree a Polyplectron. 

 But on continuing my search, 

 I observed that in some of the 

 species the two ocelli stood 

 very near each other ; that in 

 the tail-feathers of P. Hard- 

 wickii they, touched each 

 other ; and, finally, that in the 

 tail-coverts of this same spe- 

 cies as well as of P. mdlaccense 

 (Fig. 55) they were actually 

 confluent. As the central part 

 alone is confluent; an indenta- 

 tion is left at both the upper 

 and lower ends ; and the sur- 

 rounding colored zones are 

 likewise indented. A single 

 ocellus is thus formed on each 

 tail-covert, though still plainly 

 betraying its double origin. 

 These confluent ocelli differ 

 from the single ocelli of the 

 peacock in having an indenta- 

 tion at both ends, instead of at 

 the lower or basal end alone. 

 The explanation, however, of 

 this difference is not difficult ; 

 in some species of Polyplec- 

 tron the two oval ocelli on the 

 same feather stand parallel to 

 each other ; in other species 

 (as in P. chinquis) they con- p IG< 55. _p ar t of a tail-covert of 



Verge toward one end ; now Polyplectron malac ^ccnsc with 

 ° . ' the two ocelli, partially conilu- 



the partial confluence of tWO ent, of natural size. 



Fig. 54.— Part of a tail-covert of 

 Poly plectron chinquie, with 

 the two ocelli of natural size. 



