Chap. XIV.] GRADATION OF CHARACTERS. 



133 



progenitors 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. liard- 

 wickii they touched each 

 other ; and, finally, that in the 

 tail-coverts of this same spe- 

 cies as well as of P. malaccense 

 (Fig, 55) they were actually 

 confluent. As the central part 

 alone is confluent, an indenta- 

 tion is left at both the ui^per 

 and lower ends ; and the sur- 

 rounding colored zones are 

 likewise indented. A single 

 ocellus is thus formed on each Fi«- 54.-Pait of a taii-covert of 



Poly plectron ehinquis, with 



tail-covert, though still plainly 

 betraying its double origin. 

 These confluent ocelli difler 

 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 difierence is not diflacult ; 

 in some species of Polyplec- 

 ti'on the two oval ocelli on the 

 same feather stand parallel to 

 each other ; in other species 

 (as in P. chinquis) they con- Ym. 55. -Part of a tuii-coveit of 



verge toward one end; now Polyplectron malaccense, with 

 ° ' the two ocelli, partially conflu- 



the partial confluence of two ent, of natural size. 



the two ocelli of natural size. 



