RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1868-1872]. Drafts of Expression, pp. CUL-DAR89.164r-165r,168r-169r. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed and edited by John van Wyhe. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR87-90 contain material for Darwin's book Descent of man 2d ed. (1874-1877).
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the women, for I hear from the Rajah C. Brooke, it is a common expression with them, to say "we nearly made water from laughter." The aborigines of Australia express their emotions very plainly and they are described by some of my correspondents, as jumping about and clapping their hands for joy, and as often roaring with laughter. No less than four observers have seen their eyes freely watering on such occasions; and in one instance the tears rolled down their cheeks. Mr. Bulmer, a missionary in a remote part of Victoria remarks, "that they have a keen sense of the ridiculous; they are excellent mimics, and when one of them is able to imitate the peculiarities of some absent member of the tribe, it is very common to hear all in the camp convulsed with laughter." With Europeans, hardly anything excites laughter so easily as mimicry; as it is rather curious to find the same fact with the savages of Australia, which constitute one of the most distinct races in the world. In Southern Africa with two tribes of Kafirs, especially with the women, their eyes have often been seen to fill with tears during laughter, Gaika, the
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[Draft of Expression, Chapter VIII, p. 198.]
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Expression of joy.—Ludicrous ideas.— Movements of the features during laughter.— Nature of the sound produced.— The secretion of tears during loud laughter — Gradations from loud laughter to gentle smiling.— High spirits.— The expression of love.— Tender feelings.— Devotion.
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[Draft of Expression, p. 203]
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retracted by the galvanization of the great zygomatic muscles. That the expression is not natural is clear; for I showed this photograph to 24 persons; of whom three could not in the least tell what was meant whilst the others, though they perceived that the expression was of the nature of a smile; answered in such words as "a wicked joke," "trying to laugh", "grinning laughter," "half amazed laughter" &c. Dr. Duchenne attributes the falseness of the expression entirely to the
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[Draft of Expression, p. 203]
Chap. VIII
on weeping which exists between the orbicular especially the lower ones and some of the muscles running to the upper lip. Henle remarks* (10A) on this head, that when a man winks one eye closely he cannot avoid retracting the upper lip on the same side: conversely, if any one will place his finger on his lower eyelid, & then uncover his upper incisors as much as possible, he will feel, as his upper lip is drawn upwards, that the muscles of the lower eyelid contract. In Henle's drawing, given in Woodcut fig. 2, the musculus morares (H) which runs to the upper lip may be seen to form an almost integral part of the lower orbicular muscle). (Dr. Duchenne has given a large photograph of an old man (reduced on pl. III. fig. 4) in his usual precise condition; & another of the same man (fig. 5) naturally smiling. This latter was instantly recognized by everyone to whom I showed it as true to nature. He has also given another photograph, 9 Fig. 6.) as an example of an unnatural or false smile of the same old man, with the corners of his mouth strongly
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
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