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Chap. XIV.
Birds—Gradation of Characters.
437

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 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. 59). We here see several oblique rows. A, B, C, D,

Fig. 59. Portion of one of the secondary wing-feathers near to the body, shewing the so-called elliptic ornaments. The right-hand figure is given merely as a diagram for the sake of the letters of reference.
A, B, C, D, &c. Rows of spots running down to and forming the elliptic ornaments.

b. Lowest spot or mark in row B.

c. The next succeeding spot or mark in the same row.

d. Apparently a broken prolongation of the spot c in the same row B

&c. (see the lettered diagram on the right hand), 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. 57 runs down to, and is connected with, one of the ball-and-socket ocelli. Looking to any one row, for instance, B, in fig. 59, the lowest mark (b) is thicker and considerably longer than the upper spots, and has its left extremity pointed and curved upwards. This black mark