432 THE DESCENT OF MAN. 



the whole inner space of the elliptic ornament. The mark (b) 

 corresponds in every respect with the basal shaded spot of the 

 simple feather described in the last paragraph (fig. 58), but is 

 more highly developed and more brightly colored. Above and ta 

 the right of this spot (b fig. 59), with its bright shading, there is 

 a long narrow, black mark (c), belonging to the same row, and 

 which is arched a little downwards so as to face (b). This mark 

 is sometimes broken into two portions. It Is also narrowly edged 

 on the lower side with a fulvous tint. To the left of and above 

 c, in the same oblique direction, but always more or less distinct 

 from it, there is another black mark (d). This mark is generally 

 sub-triangular and irregular in shape, but in the one lettered in 

 the diagram it is unusually narrow, elongated, and regular. It 

 apparently consists of a lateral and broken prolongation of the 

 mark (c), together with its confluence with a broken and pro- 

 longed part of the next spot above; but I do not feel sure of this. 

 These three marks, b, c, and d, with the intervening bright shades, 

 form together the so-called elliptic ornament. These ornaments 

 placed parallel to the shaft, manifestly correspond in position 

 with the ball-and-socket ocelli. Their extremely elegant ap- 

 pearance cannot be appreciated in the drawing, as the orange and 

 leaden tints, contrasting so well with the black marks, cannot be 

 shown. 



Between one of the elliptic ornaments and a perfect ball-and- 

 socket ocellus, the gradation is so perfect that it is scarcely pos- 

 sible to decide when the latter term ought to be used. The pas- 

 sage from the one into the other is effected by the elongation 

 and greater curvature in opposite directions of the lower black 

 mark (b fig. 59), and more especially of the upper one (c), to- 

 gether with the contraction of the elongated sub-triangular or 

 narrow mark (d), so that at last these three marks become con- 

 fluent, forming an irregular elliptic ring. This ring is gradually 

 rendered more and more circular and regular, increasing at the 

 same time in diameter. I have here given a drawing (fig. 60) 

 of the natural size of an ocellus not as yet quite perfect. The 

 lower part of the black ring is much more curved than is the lower 

 mark in the elliptic ornament (b fig. 59). The upper part of 

 the ring consists of two or three separate portions; and there is 

 only a trace of the thickening of the portion which forms the 

 black mark above the white shade. This white shade itself is 

 not as yet much concentrated; and beneath it the surface is 

 brighter colored than ^n a perfect ball-and-socket ocellus. Even 

 in the most perfect ocelli, traces of the junction of three or four 

 elongated black marks, by which the ring has been formed, may 

 often be detected. The irregular sub-triangular or narrow mark 



