resembled a Polyplectron. But on continuing my search, I observed that
in some of the species the two ocelli stood very near each other; that
in the tail-feathers of P. hardwickii they touched each other; and,
finally, that on the tail-coverts of this same species as well as of P.
malaccense (Fig. 56) they were actually confluent. As the central part
alone is confluent, an indentation is left at both the upper and lower
ends; and the surrounding coloured zones are likewise indented. A
single ocellus is thus formed on each tail-covert, though still plainly
betraying its double origin. These confluent ocelli differ from the
single ocelli of the peacock in having an indentation at both ends,
instead of only at the lower or basal end. The explanation, however, of
this difference is not difficult; in some species of Polyplectron the
two oval ocelli on the same feather stand parallel to each other; in
other species (as in P. chinquis) they converge towards one end; now
the partial confluence of two convergent ocelli would manifestly leave
a much deeper indentation at the divergent than at the convergent end.
It is also manifest that if the convergence were strongly pronounced
and the confluence complete, the indentation at the convergent end
would tend to disappear.
The tail-feathers in both species of the peacock are entirely destitute
of ocelli, and this apparently is related to their being covered up and
concealed by the long tail-coverts. In this respect they differ
remarkably from the tail-feathers of Polyplectron, which in most of the
species are ornamented with larger ocelli than those on the
tail-coverts. Hence I was led carefully to examine the tail-feathers of
the several species, in order to discover whether their ocelli shewed
any tendency to disappear; and to my great satisfaction, this appeared
to be so. The central tail-feathers of P. napoleonis have the two
ocelli on each side of the shaft perfectly developed; but the inner
ocellus becomes less and less conspicuous on the more exterior
tail-feathers, until a mere shadow or rudiment is left on the inner
side of the outermost feather. Again, in P. malaccense, the ocelli on
the tail-coverts are, as we have seen, confluent; and these feathers
are of unusual length, being two-thirds of the length of the
tail-feathers, so that in both these respects they approach the
tail-coverts of the peacock. Now in P. malaccense, the two central
tail-feathers alone are ornamented, each with two brightly-coloured
ocelli, the inner ocellus having completely disappeared from all the
other tail-feathers. Consequently the tail-coverts and tail-feathers of
455