HA RD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



97 



ON ANIMAL BEAUTY. 



By Dr. P. Q. KEEGAN. 



[Concluded fiom J>. 74.] 



HE beauty of ani- 

 mal movement is es- 

 sentially connected 

 with the suppleness 

 of the joints. The 

 complete, well-oil- 

 ed flexibility of the 

 joints is absolutely 

 essential. The 

 lighter the limbs 

 are, the more easily 

 can they be bent, 

 and their move- 

 ments will be more 

 graceful and beauti- 

 ful. The move- 

 ments of the carti- 

 laginous fishes — the 

 sharks, dog-fishes, 

 etc. — are perhaps as 

 graceful as those of 

 any animal ; and therein we see the effect of power- 

 ful muscles acting on a very light and soft skeleton, 

 abundantly provided with joints easily flexible. Gym- 

 nasts are fully aware of this connection between 

 suppleness and beauty of motion ; for in order to attain 

 this latter quality they practise what are called free 

 exercises, i.e. exercises specially adapted to supple the 

 joints and to extend their sphere or function. There 

 can be no doubt that a well-formed and so far beautiful 

 limb is more easily and gracefully moved than a fat 

 or ill-shaped one, and in this way some connection be- 

 tween the beauty of form and the " poetry " of motion 

 may be traced ; but the latter does not depend so 

 immediately or indispensably as the former upon 

 symmetrical growth, perfect development, and the 

 oxygenating vitality of the organic fluids. Never- 

 theless, we believe that there is scope here for 

 superiority or prevalence of intellect. Many move- 

 ments considered to be beautiful are so through the 

 operation of the association of ideas, i.e., because we 

 discern therein indications of practical ability, or some 

 No. 257.— May 1886. 



sort of taste for neatness of execution and finish, etc. ; 

 and in this sense it seems to be true, that the beauty 

 of movement is connected (as aforesaid) with forces 

 strictly mental. Many of man's movements (as in 

 stage-acting, for instance) are, as it were, artificial, 

 and performed with consciousness and attention either 

 to itself, or to the end thereby sought to be attained. 

 This sensitive, conscious attention is so far dis- 

 tracting, and induces a more or less awkward and 

 ungainly result. The motions of the lower animals, 

 on the other hand, are, we believe, almost invariably 

 performed spontaneously or impulsively, and of 

 course easily, gracefully, naturally, and without a 

 particle of oddity. 



Finally, the beauty of animal expression remains 

 to be considered. This is connected with the highest" 

 powers of intelligence and with the more elevated 

 and spiritual of the emotions, and for this reason it 

 is eminently, if not exclusively, characteristic of man. 

 In fact, as pointed out by Sir C. Bell, there are 

 certain muscles in the human face which subserve no 

 other purpose than that of expression. Among the 

 lower animals the more sensual or organic passions 

 (such as rage, terror, hatred, jealousy) are expressed 

 with extraordinary intensity and ferocity, not merely 

 by the face but by the whole body ; and the counter- 

 parts or opposites of these passions (viz. joy, con- 

 fidence, affection, etc.) seem to be expressed not so 

 much positively as (as it were) negatively. There 

 is, however, little beauty, strictly speaking, in these 

 outward manifestations of animal emotion. Indeed, 

 it is doubtful if any sort of expression ought to be 

 called "beautiful." It is only where, as in man, a 

 frequent repetition of certain kinds of emotions or of 

 certain mental states has stamped certain expressions 

 (such as benevolence, refinement, fire, gentleness, 

 etc.) upon the countenance, that we find a picture 

 sufficiently keen and perceptible to warrant a high 

 aesthetic interest. Among brutes we find Utile 

 of this permanent expressiveness of countenance. 

 Observe a group of monkeys or of bears, tigers, 

 elephants, etc., and you will opine that their counte- 



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