€iiap. Xiy. 
GKADATIOX OF CHAKACTEES. 
145 
gated in a transverse direction. It differs also from 
the other spots by being bordered 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 quite overlooked. 
The next higher spot in each row does not differ at all 
from the upper ones in the same row, although in 
the following series it becomes, as we shall see, greatly 
modified. The larger spots occupy exactly the same 
relative position on this feather as those occupied by the 
perfect ocelli on the longer wing-feathers. 
By looking to the next two or three succeeding 
secondary wing-feathers, an absolutely insensible gra- 
dation can be traced from one of the above-described 
lower spots, together with the next higher one in the 
same row, to a curious ornament, which cannot be called 
an ocellus, and which I will name, from the want of a 
better term, an elliptic ornament.” These are shewn 
in the accompanying figure (fig. 58). We here see 
several oblique rows, A, B, C, D (see the lettered dia- 
gram), &c., of dark spots of the usual character. Each 
row of spots runs down to and is connected with one of 
the elliptic ornaments, in exactly the same manner as 
each stripe in fig. 56 runs down to, and is connected with, 
one of the ball-and-socket ocelli. Looking to any one 
row, for instance, B, the lowest spot or mark (h) is 
thicker and considerably longer than the upper spots, 
and has its left extremity pointed and curved upwards. 
This black mark is abruptly bordered on its upper side 
by a rather broad space of richly-shaded tints, beginning 
with a narrow brown zone, which passes into orange, 
and this into a pale leaden tint, with the end towm^ds 
the shaft much paler. This mark corresponds in every 
respect with the larger, shaded spot, described in the 
last paragraph (fig. 57), but is more highly deve- 
VOL. II. L 
