246 PHYSICAL EXPRESSION. 



ment. The ability to transfer an object from one 

 hand to the other is not acquired for some months, 

 and the association of the two hands in playing 

 with an object is still later in development. 



Very important signs are the movements indi- 

 cating recollection upon hearing the names of well- 

 known objects (retentiveness). In such a case only 

 waves of sound act upon the brain from without, 

 and the movement that results in the child, indi- 

 cates that the sound has been heard. A certain 

 name may always cause the same facial gesture 

 (expression) ; thus, " bottle," " bed," excite the 

 facial expression of pleasure, disappointment. The 

 word is said, and the face changes. However 

 complex in mechanism and function the brain 

 which moves the face may be, still it is the sound 

 that stimulates the movement. 



Retentiveness of the effects of the sight of an 

 object is very important. Does the child remember 

 objects shown to it? Here the "memory" is 

 indicated by the movements the infant makes 

 when shown an object that it has had sight of often 

 before. The undulations of light are reflected from 

 the particular object ; these, falling upon the retina, 

 produce, by their action on the brain, the gestures 

 in the face, hands, etc., the expression of joy, pain, 

 etc.; the sight of this special object always pro- 

 ducing similar effects, subject to modifications. 

 The sight of a funny doll makes the child laugh ; 

 a dog makes it cry and clench its fists. 



Upturning of the eyes in their orbits, accom- 

 panied by elevation of the eyelids, in looking at 



