THE ARGUS PHEASANT. 253 



think this is invariably the case. You are aware that I have 

 previously called attention to the very artistic shading of the 

 large round spots on the secondaries, and my opinion that 

 the bird during display would so place his wings that all the 

 lights on these spots would be upwards or towards the source 

 of light, and the shades downwards, has been confirmed by 

 observation of the living bird." 



From my own observation I can fully confirm the state- 

 ment of Mr. Wood, namely, that the ocelli are so shaded as 

 to represent the light coming from above when the wings are 

 expanded as the bird is displaying itself. In the engraving 

 the ocelli of the secondary feathers nearest the tail have the 

 light side shown nearest the top of the feather, whereas on 

 the first and second secondaries, those which are held nearest 

 the ground and most horizontally, the light is next the shaft 

 of the feather. 



The mode in which these ocelli have been produced has 

 been the subject of a very elaborate and ingenious disquisition 

 by Darwin (" Descent of Man/' vol. ii., p. 141), to which I 

 would refer those of my readers who desire to enter more 

 deeply into the subject ; but the following remarks on the 

 characteristics of the feathers and their employment by the 

 male are so graphic that I need make no apology for quoting 

 them (vol. ii., p. 91) : 



" The immensely developed secondary wing feathers, which 

 are confined to the male, are ornamented with a row of from 

 twenty to twenty-three ocelli, each above an inch in diameter. 

 The feathers are also elegantly marked with oblique dark 

 stripes and rows of spots, like those on the skin of a tiger 

 .and leopard combined. The ocelli are so beautifully shaded 

 that they stand out like a ball lying loosely within a socket. 

 But when I looked at the specimen in the British Museum, 

 which is mounted with the wings expanded and trailing 

 downwards, I was greatly disappointed, for the ocelli appeared 

 flat or even concave. Mr. Gould, however, soon made the 

 case clear to me, for he had made a drawing of a male whilst 



