the expression of emotion in man and animals-第45章

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e　to　imitate　the　peculiarities　of　some　absent　member　of　the　tribe；　it　is　very　common　to　hear　all　in　the　camp　convulsed　with　laughter。〃　With　Europeans　hardly　anything　excites　laughter　so　easily　as　mimicry；　and　it　is　rather　curious　to　find　the　same　fact　with　the　savages　of　Australia；　who　constitute　one　of　the　most　distinct　races　in　the　world。

In　Southern　Africa　with　two　tribes　of　Kafirs；　especially　with　the　women；　their　eyes　often　fill　with　tears　during　laughter。　Gaika；　the　brother　of　the　chief　Sandilli；　answers　my　query　on　this　bead；　with　the　words；　〃Yes；　that　is　their　common　practice。〃　Sir　Andrew　Smith　has　seen　the　painted　face　of　a　Hottentot　woman　all　furrowed　with　tears　after　a　fit　of　laughter。　In　Northern　Africa；　with　the　Abyssinians；　tears　are　secreted　under　the　same　circumstances。　　Lastly；　in　North　America；　the　same　fact　has　been　observed　in　a　remarkably　savage　and　isolated　tribe；　but　chiefly　with　the　women；　in　another　tribe　it　was　observed　only　on　a　single　occasion。

Excessive　laughter；　as　before　remarked；　graduates　into　moderate　laughter。　In　this　latter　case　the　muscles　round　the　eyes　are　much　less　contracted；　and　there　is　little　or　no　frowning。　　Between　a　gentle　laugh　and　a　broad　smile　there　is　hardly　any　difference；　excepting　that　in　smiling　no　reiterated　sound　is　uttered；　though　a　single　rather　strong　expiration；　or　slight　noise　a　rudiment　of　a　laughmay　often　be　heard　at　the　commencement　of　a　smile。　On　a　moderately　smiling　countenance　the　contraction　of　the　upper　orbicular　muscles　can　still　just　be　traced　by　a　slight　lowering　of　the　eyebrows。　The　contraction　of　the　lower　orbicular　and　palpebral　muscles　is　much　plainer；　and　is　shown　by　the　wrinkling　of　the　lower　eyelids　and　of　the　skin　beneath　them；　together　with　a　slight　drawing　up　of　the　upper　lip。　From　the　broadest　smile　we　pass　by　the　finest　steps　into　the　gentlest　one。　In　this　latter　case　the　features　are　moved　in　a　much　less　degree；　and　much　more　slowly；　and　the　mouth　is　kept　closed。　　The　curvature　of　the　naso…labial　furrow　is　also　slightly　different　in　the　two　cases。　We　thus　see　that　no　abrupt　line　of　demarcation　can　be　drawn　between　the　movement　of　the　features　during　the　most　violent　laughter　and　a　very　faint　smile。＇16＇

A　smile；　therefore；　may　be　said　to　be　the　first　stage　in　the　development　of　a　laugh。　　But　a　different　and　more　probable　view　may　be　suggested；　namely；　that　the　habit　of　uttering　load　reiterated　sounds　from　a　sense　of　pleasure；　first　led　to　the　retraction　of　the　corners　of　the　mouth　and　of　the　upper　lip；　and　to　the　contraction　of　the　orbicular　muscles；　and　that　now；　through　association　and　long…continued　habit；　the　same　muscles　are　brought　into　slight　play　whenever　any　cause　excites　in　us　a　feeling　which；　if　stronger；　would　have　led　to　laughter；　and　the　result　is　a　smile。


＇16＇　Dr。　Piderit　has　come　to　the　same　conclusion；　ibid。　　s。　　99。

Whether　we　look　at　laughter　as　the　full　development　of　a　smile；　or；　as　is　more　probable；　at　a　gentle　smile　as　the　last　trace　of　a　habit；　firmly　fixed　during　many　generations；　of　laughing　whenever　we　are　joyful；　we　can　follow　in　our　infants　the　gradual　passage　of　the　one　into　the　other。　It　is　well　known　to　those　who　have　the　charge　of　young　infants；　that　it　is　difficult　to　feel　sure　when　certain　movements　about　their　mouths　are　really　expressive；　that　is；　when　they　really　smile。　Hence　I　carefully　watched　my　own　infants。　　One　of　them　at　the　age　of　forty…five　days；　and　being　at　the　time　in　a　happy　frame　of　mind；　smiled；　that　is；　the　corners　of　the　mouth　were　retracted；　and　simultaneously　the　eyes　became　decidedly　bright。　I　observed　the　same　thing　on　the　following　day；　but　on　the　third　day　the　child　was　not　quite　well　and　there　was　no　trace　of　a　smile；　and　this　renders　it　probable　that　the　previous　smiles　were　real。　Eight　days　subsequently　and　during　the　next　succeeding　week；　it　was　remarkable　how　his　eyes　brightened　whenever　he　smiled；　and　his　nose　became　at　the　same　time　transversely　wrinkled。　This　was　now　accompanied　by　a　little　bleating　noise；　which　perhaps　represented　a　laugh。　　At　the　age　of　113　days　these　little　noises；　which　were　always　made　during　expiration；　assumed　a　slightly　different　character；　and　were　more　broken　or　interrupted；　as　in　sobbing；　and　this　was　certainly　incipient　laughter。　The　change　in　tone　seemed　to　me　at　the　time　to　be　connected　with　the　greater　lateral　extension　of　the　mouth　as　the　smiles　became　broader。

In　a　second　infant　the　first　real　smile　was　observed　at　about　the　same　age；　viz。　　forty…five　days；　and　in　a　third；　at　a　somewhat　earlier　age。　The　second　infant；　when　sixty…five　days　old；　smiled　much　more　broadly　and　plainly　than　did　the　one　first　mentioned　at　the　same　age；　and　even　at　this　early　age　uttered　noises　very　like　laughter。　In　this　gradual　acquirement；　by　infants；　of　the　habit　of　laughing；　we　have　a　case　in　some　degree　analogous　to　that　of　weeping。　As　practice　is　requisite　with　the　ordinary　movements　of　the　body；　such　as　walking；　so　it　seems　to　be　with　laughing　and　weeping。　The　art　of　screaming；　on　the　other　hand；　from　being　of　service　to　infants；　has　become　finely　developed　from　the　earliest　days。


_High　spirits；　cheerfulness_。A　man　in　high　spirits；　though　he　may　not　actually　smile；　commonly　exhibits　some　tendency　to　the　retraction　of　the　corners　of　his　mouth。　From　the　excitement　of　pleasure；　the　circulation　becomes　more　rapid；　the　eyes　are　bright；　and　the　colour　of　the　face　rises。　The　brain；　being　stimulated　by　the　increased　flow　of　blood；　reacts　on　the　mental　powers；　lively　ideas　pass　still　more　rapidly　through　the　mind；　and　the　affections　are　warmed。　　I　heard　a　child；　a　little　under　four　years　old；　when　asked　what　was　meant　by　being　in　good　spirits；　answer；　〃It　is　laughing；　talking；　and　kissing。〃　It　would　be　difficult　to　give　a　truer　and　more　practical　definition。　A　man　in　this　state　holds　his　body　erect；　his　head　upright；　and　his　eyes　open。　　There　is　no　drooping　of　the　features；　and　no　contraction　of　the　eyebrows。　　On　the　contrary；　the　frontal　muscle；　as　Moreau　observes；＇17＇　tends　to　contract　slightly；　and　this　smooths　the　brow；　removes　every　trace　of　a　frown；　arches　the　eyebrows　a　little；　and　raises　the　eyelids。　Hence　the　Latin　phrase；　_exporrigere　frontem_　to　unwrinkle　the　browmeans；　to　be　cheerful　or　merry。　The　whole　expression　of　a　man　in　good　spirits　is　exactly　the　opposite　of　that　of　one　suffering　from　sorrow。　According　to　Sir　C。　Bell；　〃In　all　the　exhilarating　emotions　the　eyebrows；　eyelids；　the　nostrils；　and　the　angles　of　the　mouth　are　raised。　　In　the　depressing　passions　it　is　the　reverse。〃　Under　the　influence　of　the　latter　the　brow　is　heavy；　the　eyelids；　cheeks；　mouth；　and　whole　head　droop；　the　eyes　are　dull；　the　countenance　pallid；　and　the　respiration　slow。　In　joy　the　face　expands；　in　grief　it　lengthens。　Whether　the　principle　of　antithesis　has　here　come　into　play　in　producing　these　opposite　expressions；　in　aid　of　the　direct　causes　which　have　been　specified　and　which　are　sufficiently　plain；　I　will　not　pretend　to　say。


＇17＇　‘La　Physionomie；'　par　G。　Lavater；　edit。　of　1820；　vol。　　iv。　　p。　　224。　　See；　also；　Sir　C。　Bell；　‘Anatomy　of　Expression；'　p。　　172；　for　the　quotation　given　below。

With　all　the　races　of　man　the　expression　of　good　spirit　appears　to　be　the　same；　and　is　easily　recognized。　　My　informants；　from　various　parts　of　the　Old　and　New　Worlds；　answer　in　the　affirmative　to　my　queries　on　this　head；　and　they　give　some　particulars　with　respect　to　Hindoos；　Malays；　and　New　Zealanders。　　The　brightness　of　the　eyes　of　the　Australians　has　struck　four　observers；　and　the　same　fact　has　been　noticed　with　Hindoos；　New　Zealanders；　and　the　Dyaks　of　Borneo。

Savages　sometimes　express　their　satisfaction　not　only　by　smiling；　but　by　gestures　derived　from　the　pleasure　of　eating。　Thus　Mr。　Wedgwood＇18＇　quotes　Petherick　that　the　negroes　on　the　Upper　Nile　began　a　general　rubbing　of　their　bellies　when　he　displayed　his　beads；　and　Leichhardt　says　that　the　Australians　smacked　and　clacked　their　mouths　at　the　sight　of　his　horses　and　bullocks；　and　more　especially　of　his　kangaroo　dogs。　The　Greenlanders；　〃when　they　affirm　anything　with　pleasure；　suck　down　air　with　a　certain　sound；〃＇19＇　and　this　may　be　an　imitation　of　the　act　of　swallowing　savoury　food。


＇18＇　A　‘Dictionar