THE MIND'S MIRROR. 



261 



given to it by old anatomists. The two conditions of muscle con- 

 traction and relaxation under varying circumstances and combina- 

 tions in different groups of muscles, may be held to be capable of 

 expressing the entire play of human feelings. The explanation of 

 the mechanism of expression consists merely in a knowledge not as 

 yet possessed by us in perfect fashion of the various relations which 

 may persist at one and the 

 same moment between se- 

 parate muscles in a given 

 region, or between groups 

 of these muscles. Look at 

 an anatomical plate such 

 as may be found in Sir 

 Charles Bell's "Anatomy 

 of Expression," enhanced 

 for our present purpose by 

 the addition of a text which 

 has become of classic nature 

 and mark oft" therein the 

 eyebrow muscles, called the 

 orbicularis palpebr arum (19) 

 and pyramidalis nasi (i). 

 When we speak of the 

 lowering expression fore- 

 boding rage and anger, the 

 lineaments are placed in 

 the expressive phrase just 

 indicated, by the contrac- 

 tion of the muscles in 

 question. It is the occipito- 

 frontalis muscle (20, 27, 



32) which contracts in the FIG. 29. MUSCLES OF HEAD, FACE AND NECK (Gray). 



peering look Of inquisitive- i, Pyramidalis nasi : 2, Compressor naris ; 3, 4, 5, dilators 



and compressors of the nose ; 6, depressor alae nasi ; 7. 

 levator labii superioris et alae nasi ; 8, orbicularis oris ; 

 9, levator anguli oris ; 10, levator labii superioris ; n, 12, 

 zygomatici ; i3,masseter; 14, buccinator ; 15, risorius ; 

 16, depressor anguli oris ; 17, depressor labii inferioris ; 

 18, levator ment 



ness or in the hopeful aspect 



of joy. And when the 



space betwixt the eyebrows 



becomes wrinkled, as in the 



frown of displeasure or in 



the act of solving a knotty 



problem, it is the corrugator 



(26) which produces the well-known sign of the mind's trouble. 



The " grief muscles " of Mr. Darwin are the orbiculars, corrugators, 



and pyramidals of the nose, which act together so as to lower and 



contract the eyebrows, and which are partially checked in their 



action by the more powerful action of the central parts of the 



9, orbicularis palpebrarum ; 20, 27, 

 32, occipito-f rental is ; 21, temporal fascia ; 22, atollens 

 aurem ; 23, 24, attrahens and retrahens aurem ; 25, deep 

 part of masseter ; 26, corrugator ; 28, sterno-mastoid ; 

 29, trapezius ; 30, platysma ; 31, external jugular vein. 



