188 IDLE DAYS IN PATAGONIA 



light is no exception to the rule. A possible ex- 

 planation is that suprasensitive retinae in times of 

 excitement become increasedly phosphorescent, 

 and the same excitement causes a change in the 

 curvature of the lens, so that the light is focused, 

 and pro tanto brightened into sparks. Seeing how 

 little we know of natural forces, it may be that 

 what we call light in such a case is eye speaking to 

 eye an emanation from the window of one brain 

 into the window of another. ' ' 



Probably all those cases one hears and reads 

 about some historical of human eyes flashing 

 fire and blazing with wrath, are mere poetic exag- 

 gerations. One would not look for these fiery eyes 

 amongst the peaceful children of civilization, who, 

 when they make war, do so without anger, and kill 

 their enemies by machinery, without even seeing 

 them; but amongst savage or semi-savage men, 

 carnivorous in their diet, fierce in disposition, and 

 extremely violent in their passions. It is precisely 

 amongst people of this description that I have 

 lived a great deal. I have often seen them frenzied 

 with excitement, their faces white as ashes, hair 

 erect, and eyes dropping great tears of rage, but 

 I have never seen anything in them even ap- 

 proaching to that fiery appearance described in 

 the owl. 



Nature has done comparatively little for the 

 human eye, not only in denying it the terrifying 

 splendors found in some other species, but also 

 in the minor merit of beauty. When going about 



