THE VEHICLE OF EMOTION 39 



display of recherche tails. A blackbird and a 

 starling are both tidy birds, and both walk much 

 on the ground, but the one lifts its skirts, while the 

 other, more practical and less fashionable, wears a 

 walking dress and saves itself trouble. 



This line of observation leads to a higher, and 

 reveals the most important purpose that tails have 

 served in the economy of beast, bird, and reptile, 

 and, perhaps, even cold-blooded fish. Before the 

 godlike countenance of man appeared on the earth, 

 with its contractile forehead and erectile eyebrows, 

 the answering light of the eye, the expansive nostrils, 

 and subtilely mobile lips ; before that the tail was 

 the prime vehicle of emotion and safety-valve of 

 passion. It is a great truth, too often buried in 

 these days under rubbish of materialistic theories, 

 that some way of self-manifestation is a supreme 

 necessity of all sentient life. From the hot centre 

 of thought and feeling the currents rush along the 

 nervous ways and pervade the whole frame, seeking 

 an outlet. But many passages are barred by duty, 

 or fear, or eager purpose. A strong gust of passion 

 may burst all barriers and force its way out at every 

 point, but gentle currents flow along the lines of 

 least resistance and find the idle tail. I do not 

 know a better illustration of this than a cat watching 

 a mouse. The ears are pricked forward, the eyes 

 are fixed on the unsuspecting victim, every muscle 

 of the legs is tense, like a bent bow ready to speed 

 the arrow on its way. But see, the excitement 

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