STUDY OF EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION IN FELIS PAHDVS. 235 



the animal moves forward with extreme quietness. When the 

 sense of smell is brought into action in association with this move- 

 ment, the nostrils are dilated, the nose depressed to the ground and 

 the animal sniffs with vigour as it moves silently and rapidly from 

 place to place. 



Attention (Fig. 6. Plate B. — Attention). 



When Felis pccrdus distinguishes in the distance an object, the 

 nature of which it does not clearly recognise or hears a sound which 

 it does not understand, the attitude which I have designated as 

 " attention" is immediately assumed. 



It may be considered with much truth that the two emotions 

 of attention and curiosity so frequent!}^ associated and exercised in 

 combination would not in the lower animals be sufficiently differen- 

 tiated as to cause the gestures resulting from the influence of those 

 emotions to be displayed in a different and individually characteris- 

 tic manner. If the animal is lying in a calm and contented state 

 and suddenly, on the hearing of an unusual sound, springs into the 

 attentive posture, it is difficult to determine, with any degree of 

 accuracy, whether the fixed position of body and the intent 

 expression of the facies then assumed is due to a sense of curiosity 

 manifested by a desire to discern -the cause and nature of the 

 sound or by a less complex sense of attention without any desire to 

 make such an analysis. 



In the attitude of attention the trunk is raised, so that the body is 

 supported sometimes on the two front limbs and sometimes on all 

 four. By this movement the animal's range of vision is greatly 

 increased. The ears are directed forwards and the eyes widely 

 opened. The mouth may be partially open or closed. The head 

 is usually craned a little forwards and occasionalhr moved from side 

 to side as though it was endeavouring to obtain in different direc- 

 tions a further explanation as to the cause of this excitement. 

 There is no puckering of the features, no tightening of the angle of 

 the mouth or exposure of the teeth. The hair over the shoulders 

 may be slightly ruffled, but not markedly erected. The intent 

 appearance of the countenance, produced mainly by the fixed and 

 staring expression of the eyes, can scarcely be mistaken. 



Affection (Fig. 7. Plate B. — Ilayfulness). 



The emotions of affection and love are diametrically opposed to 

 those of anger and hatred, and are associated with external expres- 

 sions equally distinct in their antithesis. 



When Felis pardus is affectionate, the body is always limp and 

 supple and the face calm and placid. There is no pricking of the 

 ears or pinching of the nostrils. The teeth may be exposed by a 

 uniform opening of the whole mouth, but never by a raising of its 

 angle or by a wrinkling of the upper lip or associated with any 

 muscular tension which might suggest a snarl. The eyes are 

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