430 



THE DESCENT OF MAN. 



rated by a curved oblique line from the upper part, wMch is 

 yellower and more leaden; this curved oblique line runs at rigM 

 angles to the longer axis of the white patch of light, and indeed 

 of all the shading; but this difference in color, which cannot 

 of course be shown in the woodcut, does not in the least interfere 

 with the perfect shading of the ball. It should be particularly 

 observed that each ocellus stands in obvious connection either 

 with a dark stripe, or with a longitudinal row of dark spots, for 

 both occur indifferently on the same feather. Thus in fig. 57 stripe 

 A runs to ocellus a; B runs to ocellus b; stripe C is broken in 

 the upper part, and runs down to the next succeeding ocellus, not 

 represented in the woodcut; D to the next lower one, and so with 

 the stripes E and F. Lastly, the ocelli are separated from each 



other by a pale surface bear- 

 ing irregular black marks. 



I will next describe the 

 other extreme of the series, 

 namely, the first trace of an 

 ocellus. The short secondary 

 vnng-feather (fig. 58), nearest 

 to the body, is marked like 

 the other feathers, with 

 oblique, longitudinal, rather 

 irregular, rows of very dark 

 spots. The -basal spot, or that 

 nearest the shaft, in the five 

 lower rows (excluding the 

 lowest one) is a little larger 

 than the other spots of the 

 same row, and a little more 

 elongated in a transverse di- 

 rection. It difEers also from 

 the other spots by being bor- 

 dered on its upper side with 

 some dull fulvous shading. 

 But this spot is not in any 

 way more remarkable than 

 those on the plumage of 

 many birds, and might easily 

 be overlooked. The next higher spot does not differ at all from 

 the upper ones in the same row. The larger basal spots occupy 

 exactly the same relative position on these feathers, as do the 

 perfect ocelli on the longer wing-feathers. 



By looking to the next two or three succeeding wing-feathers, 

 an absolutely insensible gradation can be traced from one of the 

 last-described basal spots, together with the next higher one m 

 the same row, to a curious ornament, which cannot be called an 



Fig. 58. Basal part of the sec- 

 ondary-wing feather, nearest 

 to the body. 



