OBSERVATIONS ON MAMMALS 249 



and inactivity of its mind. Occasionally, while coiled 

 in this contented state, the sight of some passing 

 object may excite the interest of the animal. It raises 

 its head, opens wide its eyes and looks steadfastly 

 towards the object producing this mild excitement ; 

 the lower jaw drops and the mouth opens but not in 

 anger ; the whole countenance alters and the blank 

 expressionless facies which characterized the animal 

 in its state of pure contentment is changed instantane- 

 ously to one of interested intelligence. 



(2) FEAR 



Fear in a wild animal must be frequently associated 

 with anger, and perhaps preceded occasionally by 

 astonishment, though the latter would be difficult, if 

 not impossible, to detect. It does seem possible, 

 however, to obtain the expression of fear distinct 

 from that of anger, if the object causing the fear is so 

 powerful as to overawe the animal to such a degree 

 as to prevent it from displaying its anger. 



A leopard, when enduring the emotion of fear pro- 

 duced in this manner, acts in a very distinctive way. 

 It lowers its body into a crouching posture and throws 

 its ears well back. These movements have an object. 

 They tend to lessen the apparent bulk of the animal ; 

 and as many of the lower creatures in such conditions 

 of danger, as would create the sensation of fear in the 

 higher ones, do diminish markedly the volume of 

 their bodies and by such diminution obtain definite 

 protection, it is probable that these movements are 

 instinctive tendencies inherited throughout a long 

 ancestry, but which now display little, if any, service- 

 able manifestation. 



