138 
SEXUAL SELECTION : BIRDS. 
rAf-'f 
ifllt 
the spring the males, as previously described, 
about before the comparatively plain-coloured ^ 
expanding and erecting their tail and wing-teat ^ 
which are ornamented with numerous ocelli. I reC l^ 
the reader to turn back to the drawing (fig. 51, V; 
of a Polyplectron. In P. Napoleonis the ocelh 
confined to the tail, and the back is of a rich , 
aw 
*4 
tallic blue, in which respects this species appi'° lU 
Java peacock. P. Emrdwiekii possesses a 
several species of Polyplectron are either ci lC \ 
the 
liar top-knot, somewhat like that of this same 
of peacock. The ocelli on the wungs and tail ft f 
"> 
or oval, and consist of a beautiful, iridescent, gi' ee j f 
blue or greenish-purple disc, with a black l'° l 
This border in P. chinquis shades into brown " 
is edged with cream-colour, so that the ocell 1 '^., 
here surrounded with differently, though not brig ^ 
shaded concentric zones. The unusual length 0 a 
tail-coverts is another highly remarkable 
in Polyplectron; for in some of the species ti* 6 - $ 
half as loner, and in others two-thirds of the 
of the true tail-feathers. The tail-coverts are 
lated, as in the peacock. Thus the several 
of Polyplectron manifestly make a graduated , 
proach in the length of their tail-coverts, in the z<jl ^j,? 
of the ocelli, and in some other characters, t0 
peacock. . (it 
Notwithstanding this approach, the first sp^ 1 
Polyplectron which 1 happened to examine almost' ^ 
me give up the search ; for I found not only th’ 1 ^jjif 
true tail-feathers, which in the peacock are quite P ' g 
were ornamented with ocelli, but that the oc e i» 
all the feathers differed fundamentally from th 0 "^ 
the peacock, in there being two on the same 1 
(fig. 54), one on each side of the shaft. ff eV 
