262 STUDIES IN LIFE AND SENSE. 



frontal muscles. These muscles induce an oblique position of 

 the eyebrows, characteristic of grief, and associated with a depres- 

 sion of the corners of the mouth. So, also, we witness correlated 

 muscular action in that most characteristic of expressions, whether 

 seen in man or in lower animals, the action of snarling or de- 

 fiance, wherein the canine or eye tooth is uncovered by the angle 

 or corner of the mouth being "drawn a little backwards, and at 

 the same time a muscle (7) which runs parallel to and near the nose 

 draws up the outer part of the upper lip, and exposes the canine 

 tooth, as in sneering, on this side of the face. The contraction of 

 this muscle," adds Mr. Darwin, "makes a distinct furrow on the 

 cheek, and produces strong wrinkles under the eye, especially at its 

 inner corner." The orbicular is palpebrarum (19) above mentioned 

 closes the eyelids in sleep, and in the act of winking it is the upper 

 fibres of this muscle which alone act On the other hand, in exe- 

 cuting the " knowing wink," when the lower eyelid comes into play, 

 the lower fibres of this muscle are put in action. The distension of 

 the nostrils (seen equally well in an overdriven horse and in an 

 offended man) is effected by levator and other muscles, whilst one of 

 these muscles (7), sending a little slip down to the upper lip, aids us, 

 as just mentioned, in giving labial expression to a sneer. 



The mouth, like the eye, is encircled by the fibres of a special 

 muscle (18) (\hzorbicularis oris\ which closes the mouth and presses 

 the lips against the teeth, and this expresses the idea of " firm set 

 determination." The mouth is opened by other muscles (levato'rs 

 and depressors of the lips) (7, 10, 16, 17), and it is transversely 

 widened by the zygomatic muscles (n, 12) and by the risorius 

 muscles (15), which latter derive their name from the part they play 

 in the expression of laughter. It is interesting, lastly, to note that 

 in man's muscular system we find the remains and rudiments of many 

 muscles of the utmost importance to, and which have a high develop- 

 ment in, lower animals. For instance, our ear has at least three 

 small muscles (22, 23, 24) connected with it. These are rarely 

 capable of moving the ear in man, but in such an animal as the 

 horse they attain a great development, and effect those characteristic 

 movements of the ears that constitute such a large part of equine 

 expression. So also with the muscles which close the nostrils in 

 lower animals, these latter being rudimentary in man (3, 4, 5, 6), but 

 very highly developed in such animals as the seals, where necessity 

 arises for closing the nostrils' apertures against the admission of water. 



Although it is impossible to lay down any fixed rules on the 

 subject, it may be affirmed as a general result that relaxation of the 

 muscles is as a rule associated with pleasurable states of mind, whilst 

 violent contraction generally accompanies the painful phases of 

 mental action. The state of dreamy contentment, for instance, best 



