192 LETTERS ON NATURAL MAGIC. 



spectator, by transferring them upon copper from a steel 

 plate, and having added to each of two pair of them, a 

 nose in one case directed to the right, and in the other, to 

 the left, and to each of the other two pairs a very small 

 portion of the upper part of the nose, all the four pair of 

 eyes lost their front direction, and looked to the right or 

 to the left, according to the direction of the nose, or of the 

 portion of it which was added. 



But the effect thus produced is not limited, as Dr. 

 Wollaston remarks, to the mere change in the direction of 

 the eyes, " for a total difference of character may be given 

 to the same eyes by a due representation of the other 

 features. A lost look of devout abstraction in an uplifted 

 countenance may be exchanged for an appearance of 

 inquisitive archness in the leer of a younger face turned 

 downwards and obliquely towards the opposite side," as in 

 Fig. 27, 28. This, however, is perhaps not an exact 

 expression of the fact. The new character which is said 

 to be given to the eyes is given only to the eyes in com- 

 bination with the new features, or, what is probably more 

 correct, the inquisitive archness is in the other features, 

 and the eye does not belie it. 



Dr. Wollaston has not noticed the converse of these 

 illusions, in which a change of direction is given to fixed 

 features by a change in the direction of the eyes. This 

 effect is finely seen in some magic lantern sliders, where 

 a pair of eyes is made to move in the head of a figure 

 which invariably follows the motion of the eyeballs. 



Having thus determined the influence which the general 

 perspective of the face has upon the apparent direction of 

 the eyes in a portrait, Dr. Wollaston applies it to the ex- 

 planation of the well-known fact, that when the eyes 

 of a portrait look at a spectator in front of it they will 

 follow him, and appear to look at him in every other 

 direction. This curious fact, which has received less con- 



