THE MIND'S MIRROR. 265 



development. The subject of the emotions and the origin of the 

 means whereby we express them, like so many other subjects of 

 physiological inquiry, received a decided impetus from the publi- 

 cation of Mr. Darwin's works. His " Expression of the Emotions " 

 has already become well-nigh as classic a work as Sir Charles Bell's 

 treatise; and the query how far Mr. Darwin's views assist us in 

 explaining the origin of the expressions, may best be answered by 

 showing the chief grounds upon which Mr. Darwin's explanations 

 are based. That his views do not overtake all the difficulties of the 

 subject, Mr. Darwin would be the first to admit ; but it is equally 

 undeniable that he makes out a strong case for the reception of his 

 views, namely, that inheritance of traits from lower forms of life, 

 together with modifying circumstances such as the perpetuation ot 

 useful habits acting upon human existence, have been the main 

 causes of the development of expression. 



On three principles, according to Mr. Darwin, we may account for 

 most of man's gestures and expressions. The first, he terms that of 

 "serviceable associated habits." Under this first head, Mr. Darwin 

 remarks the influence of habit and custom in perpetuating acquired 

 movements, illustrated in the peculiar "step" of horses, and the 

 "setting" and "pointing" of dogs. Even gestures of the most unusual 

 type have been known to be perpetuated in human history. " A boy 

 had the singular habit," says Mr. Darwin, " when pleased, of rapidly 

 moving his fingers parallel to each other ; and, when much excited, 

 of raising both hands, with the fingers still moving, to the sides of his 

 face on a level with the eyes; this boy, when almost an old man, 

 could still hardly resist this trick when much pleased, but from its 

 absurdity concealed it. He had eight children. Of these, a girl, 

 when pleased, at the age of four and a half years, moved her fingers 

 in exactly the same way, and what is still odder, when much excited, 

 she raised both her hands, with her fingers still moving, to the sides 

 of her face, in exactly the same manner as her father had done, and 

 sometimes even still continued to do when alone. I never heard," 

 concludes Mr. Darwin, "of any one excepting this one man and his 

 little daughter who had this strange habit ; and certainly imitation 

 was in this instance out of the question." Again, during sound 

 sleep, three generations of a particular family have been known to 

 raise the right arm up to the forehead and then allow it to drop 

 "with a jerk, so that the wrist fell heavily on the bridge of the 

 nose." Such an act altogether without known cause might some- 

 times be "repeated incessantly for an hour or more," and the 

 person's nose, as was naturally to be expected, gave palpable evi- 

 dence of the treatment to which it had been subjected. The son of 

 this person married a lady who had never heard of this incident, 

 but in her husband she chronicled the same history as did her 



