THE SURPLUS ENERGY THEORY OF PLAY. H 



know what this feeling is — this periodic intense elation 

 which even civilized man occasionally experiences when 

 in perfect health, more especially when young. There 

 are moments when he is mad with joy, when he can not 

 keep still, when his impulse is to sing and shout aloud 

 and laugh at nothing, to run and leap and exert himself 

 in some extravagant way. Among the heavier mam- 

 malians the feeling is manifested in loud noises, bellow- 

 ings, and screamings, and in lumbering, uncouth mo- 

 tions — throwing up of heels, pretended panics, and 

 ponderous mock battles. In smaller and livelier ani- 

 mals, with greater celerity and certitude in their mo- 

 tions, the feeling shows itself in more regular and often 

 in more complex movements. Thus Felidce, when 

 young, and very agile, sprightly species like the puma, 

 throughout life simulate all the actions of an animal 

 hunting its prey. . . . Birds are more subject to this 

 universal joyous instinct than mammals, more buoyant 

 and graceful in action, more loquacious, and have voices 

 so much finer, their gladness shows itself in a greater 

 variety of ways, with more regular and beautiful mo- 

 tions, and with melody." * 



There is certainly no question that from the concep- 

 tion of physical and mental overflow of energy as it is 

 laid before us in this series of pictures, a knowledge of 

 one of the most important characteristics of the play 

 condition is obtained. The physiological impulse that 

 impels the latent powers to activity, and that mental 

 joyousness whose highest point of development Schiller 

 has justly recognised as the feeling of liberty, certainly 

 form one of the most obvious characteristics of play. 

 But it is quite as certain that the question whether by 



* Loc. cit., 280 f. 



