392 THE DESCENT OP MAN. 



has observed a male Polyplectron (fig. 51) in the act ot court- 

 ship, and has shown me a specimen stuffed in the attitude then 

 assumed. The tail and wing-feathers of this bird are ornamented 

 with beautiful ocelli, like those on the peacock's train. Now 

 when the peacock displays himself, he expands and erects his 

 tail transversely to his body, for he stands in front of the female, 

 and has to show off, at the same time, his rich blue throat and 

 breast. But the breast of the Polyplectron is obscurely colored, 

 and the ocelli are not confined to the tall-feathers. Consequently 

 the Polyplectron does not stand in front of the female; but he 

 erects and expands his tail-feathers a little obliquely, lowering 

 the expanded wing on the same side, and raising that on the 

 opposite side. In this attitude the ocelli over the whole body 

 are exposed at the same time before the eyes of the admiring 

 female in one grand bespangled expanse. To whichever side she 

 may turn, the expanded wings and the obliquely-held tail are 

 turned towards her. The male Tragopan pheasant acts in nearly 

 the same manner, for he raises the feathers of the body, though 

 not the wing itself, on the side which is opposite to the female, 

 and which would otherwise be concealed, so that nearly all the 

 beautifully spotted feathers are exhibited at the same time. 



The Argus pheasant affords a much more remarkable case. The 

 immensely developed secondary wing-feathers are confined to the 

 male; and each is ornamented with a row of from twenty to 

 twenty-three ocelli, above an inch in diameter. These feathers 

 are also elegantly marked with oblique stripes and rows of spots 

 of a dark color, like those on the skin of a tiger and leopard 

 combined. These beautiful ornaments are hidden until the male 

 shows himself off before the female. He then erects his tail, and 

 expands his wing-feathers into a great, almost upright, circular 

 fan or shield, which is carried in front of the body. The neck 

 and head are held on one side, so that they are concealed by the 

 fan; but the bird in order to see the female, before whom he is 

 displaying himself, sometimes pushes his head between two of 

 the long wing-feathers (as Mr. Bartlett has seen), and then pre- 

 sents a grotesque appearance. This must be a frequent habit 

 with the bird in a state of nature, for Mr. Bartlett and his son on 

 examining some perfect skins sent from the East, found a place 

 between two of the feathers, which was much frayed, as if the 

 head had here frequently been pushed through. Mr. Wood thinks 

 that the male can also peep at the female on one side, beyond 

 the margin of the fan. 



The ocelli on the wing-feathers are wonderful objects; for they 

 are so shaded that, as the Duke of Argyll remarks,™ they stand 



»» 'The Reign of Law,' 1867, p. 203. 



