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  THE 
  FACT 
  OF 
  BEAUTY 
  

  

  that 
  they 
  never 
  fail 
  to 
  set 
  up 
  pleasant 
  changes 
  in 
  the 
  human 
  

   eye. 
  

  

  The 
  third 
  component 
  of 
  the 
  beautiful 
  in 
  animals 
  is 
  move- 
  

   ment. 
  Just 
  as 
  we 
  enjoy 
  watching 
  a 
  waterfall, 
  a 
  fountain, 
  

   the 
  waves, 
  or 
  even 
  the 
  dance 
  of 
  motes 
  in 
  the 
  sunlit 
  air, 
  so 
  

   we 
  are 
  delighted 
  with 
  the 
  jelly 
  fishes 
  throbbing 
  in 
  the 
  tide, 
  

   the 
  flotilla 
  of 
  sepias 
  all 
  keeping 
  time 
  as 
  they 
  swim, 
  the 
  flying- 
  

   fishes 
  rising 
  before 
  the 
  prow 
  of 
  the 
  steamer 
  like 
  locusts 
  

   before 
  us 
  as 
  we 
  walk 
  in 
  the 
  meadow, 
  the 
  porpoises 
  gam- 
  

   bolling 
  in 
  the 
  waves, 
  the 
  jerboas 
  with 
  their 
  startling 
  jumps, 
  

   the 
  flight 
  of 
  bat 
  and 
  bird 
  and 
  butterfly, 
  and 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  the 
  

   serpent 
  on 
  the 
  rock. 
  Let 
  us 
  watch 
  the 
  last. 
  As 
  Sir 
  Richard 
  

   Owen 
  said, 
  the 
  snake 
  can 
  " 
  outclimb 
  the 
  monkey, 
  outswim 
  

   the 
  fish, 
  outleap 
  the 
  zebra, 
  outwrestle 
  the 
  athlete, 
  and 
  crush 
  

   the 
  tiger 
  ". 
  The 
  accurate 
  zoologist 
  cannot 
  accept 
  every 
  word 
  

   of 
  Ruskin's 
  famous 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  the 
  serpent, 
  

   but 
  he 
  will 
  admit 
  that 
  it 
  gets 
  at 
  the 
  fact 
  of 
  beauty. 
  " 
  That 
  

   rivulet 
  of 
  smooth 
  silver 
  how 
  does 
  it 
  flow, 
  think 
  you? 
  It 
  

   literally 
  rows 
  on 
  the 
  earth 
  with 
  every 
  scale 
  for 
  an 
  oar; 
  

   it 
  bites 
  the 
  dust 
  with 
  the 
  ridges 
  of 
  its 
  body. 
  Watch 
  it 
  when 
  

   it 
  moves 
  slowly 
  a 
  wave, 
  but 
  without 
  wind 
  ! 
  a 
  current, 
  but 
  

   with 
  no 
  fall 
  ! 
  all 
  the 
  body 
  moving 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  instant, 
  yet 
  

   some 
  of 
  it 
  to 
  one 
  side, 
  some 
  to 
  another, 
  or 
  some 
  forward 
  and 
  

   the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  coil 
  backwards, 
  but 
  all 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  calm 
  

   will 
  and 
  equal 
  way 
  no 
  contraction, 
  no 
  extension 
  ; 
  one 
  sound- 
  

   less, 
  causeless, 
  march 
  of 
  sequent 
  rings, 
  and 
  spectral 
  proces- 
  

   sion 
  of 
  spotted 
  dust, 
  with 
  dissolution 
  in 
  its 
  fangs 
  and 
  dis- 
  

   location 
  in 
  its 
  coils. 
  Startle 
  it 
  the 
  winding 
  stream 
  will 
  be- 
  

   come 
  a 
  twisted 
  arrow; 
  the 
  wave 
  of 
  poisoned 
  life 
  will 
  lash 
  

   through 
  the 
  grass 
  like 
  a 
  cast 
  lance." 
  

  

  Spoil 
  an 
  animal 
  say 
  by 
  fattening 
  and 
  the 
  beauty 
  of 
  

   its 
  movements 
  vanishes, 
  we 
  have 
  the 
  waddling 
  duck 
  and 
  

  

  