212 Habit and Instinct. 



There can be no question as to the advantage that 

 must accrue to the organism from a close association 

 between an emotional state which, whatever else it may 

 imply, means business, and such action and attitude as- 

 may indicate this fact to a possible enemy. The dog 

 that will chase a fleeing cat will change his demeanour, 

 and not unfrequently leave her alone, if she turns and 

 threatens to scratch his eyes. At the same time it does 

 not by any means follow that the emotional state at the 

 back of a given mode of expression is necessarily at all 

 times the same. A snake may well threaten to strike 

 in fear as well as in anger. The stag that lowers his 

 antlers to do battle with a rival may be tingling with 

 sexual excitement ; while the stag at bay that turns and 

 lowers his antlers to the advancing hounds is driven 

 thereto by an emotional state akin to despair. So long as 

 the " expression " indicates an emotional condition which 

 shows that the animal means business, is thoroughly in 

 earnest, and is ready to put forth its powers to the utmost 

 — that is enough from the biological point of view. And it 

 matters not a jot whether the emotional condition be one 

 of general irritability or excitement, one of anger or fear, 

 or sometimes one and sometimes another. Hence we may 

 fairly conclude that the same " expression " may be asso- 

 ciated with different emotional states, and may be more 

 stereotyped and uniform than the accompaniment in 

 consciousness. 



The action and attitude, then, to which we apply the 

 term emotional expression is, biologically, of suggestive 

 value. It has been developed and organized as an 

 expression suggestive to others. Like the warning colours 

 of certain insects and other animals, it is an indication of 

 certain qualities, and of a preparedness to make them felt. 

 Their suggestive value depends largely on association in 



