Cjiap. XIV. 
GEADATIOH OP CHARACTEKS. 
147 
infer from traces of similar prolongations from the 
succeeding upper spots ; but I do not feel^ sure of this. 
These three marks, h, c, and d, with the intervening 
bright shades, form together the so-called elliptic orna- 
ment. These ornaments stand in a line parallel to 
the shaft, and manifestly correspond in position with the 
ball-and-socket ocelli. Their extremely elegant appear- 
ance cannot be appreciated in the drawing, as the orange 
and leaden tints, contrasting so well with the black 
marks, cannot be shewn. 
Between one of the elliptic ornaments and a perfect 
ball-and-socket ocellus, the gradation is so perfect that 
it is scarcely possible to decide when the latter term 
ought to be used. I regret that I have not given an 
additional drawing, besides fig. 58, which stands about 
half-way in the series between one of the simple spots 
and a perfect ocellus. The passage from the elliptic 
ornament into an ocellus is effected by the elongation 
and greater curvature in opposed directions of the lower 
black mark (&), and more especially of the upper one 
(c), together with the contraction of the irregular sub- 
triangular or narrow mark (d), so that at last these 
three marks become confluent, forming an irregular 
elliptic ring. This ring is gradually rendered more 
and more circular and regular, at the same time in- 
creasing in diameter. Traces of the junction of all 
three elongated spots or marks, especially of the two 
upper ones, can still be observed in many of the most 
perfect ocelli. The broken state of the black ring on 
the upper side of the ocellus in fig. 56 was pointed 
out. The irregular sub-triangular or narrow mark 
{d) manifestly forms, by its contraction and equali- 
sation, the thickened portion of the ring on the left 
upper side of the perfect ball-and-socket ocellus. The 
lower part of the ring is invariably a little thicker than 
