PHYSICAL EXPKESSION, 



hands together these are the outcome of the 

 properties of the nerve-mechanism itself. 



The following observation on one of my children 

 when eighteen months old illustrates how the 

 dawning intellectuality is indicated by the com- 

 plication and fitness of certain sets of movement. 

 " The child having both hands full of toys, desired 

 to grasp a third ; he then put the toy from one 

 hand quickly between his knees, and thus set one 

 hand free to take hold of the desired object." 



The following kinds of movements as signs of 

 a healthy infant brain deserve separate attention : 

 Movements following certain external agencies, light, 

 sound. Movements the outcome of the essential 

 (untrained) .properties of the nerve-mechanism. 

 Movements resulting from the acquired association 

 of nerve-centres (training). Movements similar 

 to those previously occurring from a like cause, 

 showing retentiveness. Movements in different 

 areas, such as the small joints in contrast with 

 large joints; or a different condition of movement 

 of adjacent parts, such as the fingers. There may 

 also be asymmetry of movements. 



The muscles of the face are seen to act earliest 

 in the lower zone,* those about the mouth causing 

 expression before those on the forehead (corrugators), 

 which seem to be specially connected with menta- 

 tion. If the organization of the infant is not very 

 strong, the eyes as they move in their orbits do not 

 maintain a strict parallelism of their axes ; f this is 



* Compare with cerebral facial palsy, see p. 108, chap. vii. 

 f Ser account of eyes in sleep, chap. xii. p. 218. 



