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the expression of emotion in man and animals-第31章

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count of a fox lying in wait and seizing a hare。 We have already seen that some kinds of lizards and various snakes; when excited; rapidly vibrate the tips of their tails。 It would appear as if; under strong excitement; there existed an uncontrollable desire for movement of some kind; owing to nerve…force being freely liberated from the excited sensorium; and that as the tail is left free; and as its movement does not disturb the general position of the body; it is curled or lashed about。

All the movements of a cat; when feeling affectionate; are in complete antithesis to those just described。  She now stands upright; with slightly arched back; tail perpendicularly raised; and ears erected; and she rubs her cheeks and flanks against her master or mistress。 The desire to rub something is so strong in cats under this state of mind; that they may often be seen rubbing themselves against the legs of chairs or tables; or against door…posts。 This manner of expressing affection probably originated through association; as in the case of dogs; from the mother nursing and fondling her young; and perhaps from the young themselves loving each other and playing together。 Another and very different gesture; expressive of pleasure; has already been described; namely; the curious manner in which young and even old cats; when pleased; alternately protrude their fore…feet; with separated toes; as if pushing against and sucking their mother's teats。 This habit is so far analogous to that of rubbing against something; that both apparently are derived from actions performed during the nursing period。  Why cats should show affection by rubbing so much more than do dogs; though the latter delight in contact with their masters; and why cats only occasionally lick the hands of their friends; whilst dogs always do so; I cannot say。  Cats cleanse themselves by licking their own coats more regularly than do dogs。 On the other hand; their tongues seem less well fitted for the work than the longer and more flexible tongues of dogs。


'1' Azara; ‘Quadrupedes du Paraquay;' 1801; tom。  1。  p。  136。

Cats; when terrified; stand at full height; and arch their backs in a well…known and ridiculous fashion。  They spit; hiss; or growl。 The hair over the whole body; and especially on the tail; becomes erect。 In the instances observed by me the basal part of the tail was held upright; the terminal part being thrown on one side; but sometimes the tail (see fig。 15) is only a little raised; and is bent almost from the base to one side。 The ears are drawn back; and the teeth exposed。  When two kittens are playing together; the one often thus tries to frighten the other。 From what we have seen in former chapters; all the above points of expression are intelligible; except the extreme arching of the back。 I am inclined to believe that; in the same manner as many birds; whilst they ruffle their feathers; spread out their wings and tail; to make themselves look as big as possible; so cats stand upright at their full height; arch their backs; often raise the basal part of the tail; and erect their hair; for the same purpose。  The lynx; when attacked; is said to arch its back; and is thus figured by Brehm。  But the keepers in the Zoological Gardens have never seen any tendency to this action in the larger feline animals; such as tigers; lions; &c。; and these have little cause to be afraid of any other animal。

Cats use their voices much as a means of expression; and they utter; under various emotions and desires; at least six or seven different sounds。  The purr of satisfaction; which is made during both inspiration and expiration; is one of the most curious。 The puma; cheetah; and ocelot likewise purr; but the tiger; when pleased; 〃emits a peculiar short snuffle; accompanied by the closure of the eyelids。〃'7' It is said that the lion; jaguar; and leopard; do not purr。


_Horses_。Horses when savage draw their ears closely back; protrude their heads; and partially uncover their incisor teeth; ready for biting。  When inclined to kick behind; they generally; through habit; draw back their ears; and their eyes are turned backwards in a peculiar manner。'8' When pleased; as when some coveted food is brought to them in the stable; they raise and draw in their heads; prick their ears; and looking intently towards their friend; often whinny。 Impatience is expressed by pawing the ground。


'7' ‘Land and Water;' 1867; p。  657。  See also Azara on the Puma; in the work above quoted。

'8' Sir C。 Bell; ‘Anatomy of Expression;' 3rd edit。  p。  123。  See also p。 126; on horses not breathing through their mouths; with reference to their distended nostrils。

The actions of a horse when much startled are highly expressive。 One day my horse was much frightened at a drilling machine; covered by a tarpaulin; and lying on an open field。  He raised his head so high; that his neck became almost perpendicular; and this he did from habit; for the machine lay on a slope below; and could not have been seen with more distinctness through the raising of the head; nor if any sound had proceeded from it; could the sound have been more distinctly heard。 His eyes and ears were directed intently forwards; and I could feel through the saddle the palpitations of his heart。 With red dilated nostrils he snorted violently; and whirling round; would have dashed off at full speed; had I not prevented him。 The distension of the nostrils is not for the sake of scenting the source of danger; for when a horse smells carefully at any object and is not alarmed; he does not dilate his nostrils。 Owing to the presence of a valve in the throat; a horse when panting does not breathe through his open mouth; but through his nostrils; and these consequently have become endowed with great powers of expansion。  This expansion of the nostrils; as well as the snorting; and the palpitations of the heart; are actions which have become firmly associated during a long series of generations with the emotion of terror; for terror has habitually led the horse to the most violent exertion in dashing away at full speed from the cause of danger。


_Ruminants_。Cattle and sheep are remarkable from displaying in so slight a degree their emotions or sensations; excepting that of extreme pain。 A bull when enraged exhibits his rage only by the manner in which be holds his lowered head; with distended nostrils; and by bellowing。 He also often paws the ground; but this pawing seems quite different from that of an impatient horse; for when the soil is loose; he throws up clouds of dust。  I believe that bulls act in this manner when irritated by flies; for the sake of driving them away。  The wilder breeds of sheep and the chamois when startled stamp on the ground; and whistle through their noses; and this serves as a danger…signal to their comrades。 The musk…ox of the Arctic regions; when encountered; likewise stamps on the ground。'9' How this stamping action arose I cannot conjecture; for from inquiries which I have made it does not appear that any of these animals fight with their fore…legs。

Some species of deer; when savage; display far more expression than do cattle; sheep; or goats; for; as has already been stated; they draw back 
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