第 18 节
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忙 更新:2021-02-27 02:14 字数:9322
auses hereafter to be discussed; are somewhat protruded; and this form of the mouth; if the voice be at all exerted; produces; according to Helmholtz; the sound of the vowel _O_。 Certainly a deep sound of a prolonged _Oh!_ may be heard from a whole crowd of people immediately after witnessing any astonishing spectacle。 If; together with surprise; pain be felt; there is a tendency to contract all the muscles of the body; including those of the face; and the lips will then be drawn back; and this will perhaps account for the sound becoming higher and assuming the character of _Ah!_ or _Ach!_ As fear causes all the muscles of the body to tremble; the voice naturally becomes tremulous; and at the same time husky from the dryness of the mouth; owing to the salivary glands failing to act。 Why the laughter of man and the tittering of monkeys should be a rapidly reiterated sound; cannot be explained。 During the utterance of these sounds; the mouth is transversely elongated by the corners being drawn backwards and upwards; and of this fact an explanation will be attempted in a future chapter。 But the whole subject of the differences of the sounds produced under different states of the mind is so obscure; that I have succeeded in throwing hardly any light on it; and the remarks which I have made; have but little significance。
All the sounds hitherto noticed depend on the respiratory organs; but sounds produced by wholly different means are likewise expressive。 Rabbits stamp loudly on the ground as a signal to their comrades; and if a man knows how to do so properly; he may on a quiet evening hear the rabbits answering him all around。 These animals; as well as some others; also stamp on the ground when made angry。 Porcupines rattle their quills and vibrate their tails when angered; and one behaved in this manner when a live snake was placed in its compartment。 The tail of the quills on the tail are very different from those on the body: they are short; hollow; thin like a goose…quill; with their ends transversely truncated; so that they are open; they are supported on long; thin; elastic foot…stalks。 Now; when the tail is rapidly shaken; these hollow quills strike against each other and produce; as I heard in the presence of Mr。 Bartlett; a peculiar continuous sound。 We can; I think; understand why porcupines have been provided; through the modification of their protective spines; with this special sound…producing instrument。 They are nocturnal animals; and if they scented or heard a prowling beast of prey; it would be a great advantage to them in the dark to give warning to their enemy what they were; and that they were furnished with dangerous spines。 They would thus escape being attacked。 They are; as I may add; so fully conscious of the power of their weapons; that when enraged they will charge backwards with their spines erected; yet still inclined backwards。
Many birds during their courtship produce diversified sounds by means of specially adapted feathers。 Storks; when excited; make a loud clattering noise with their beaks。 Some snakes produce a grating or rattling noise。 Many insects stridulate by rubbing together specially modified parts of their hard integuments。 This stridulation generally serves as a sexual charm or call; but it is likewise used to express different emotions。'8' Every one who has attended to bees knows that their humming changes when they are angry; and this serves as a warning that there is danger of being stung。 I have made these few remarks because some writers have laid so much stress on the vocal and respiratory organs as having been specially adapted for expression; that it was advisable to show that sounds otherwise produced serve equally well for the same purpose。
_Erection of the dermal appendages_。Hardly any expressive movement is so general as the involuntary erection of the hairs; feathers and other dermal appendages; for it is common throughout three of the great vertebrate classes。 These appendages are erected under the excitement of anger or terror; more especially when these emotions are combined; or quickly succeed each other。 The action serves to make the animal appear larger and more frightful to its enemies or rivals; and is generally accompanied by various voluntary movements adapted for the same purpose; and by the utterance of savage sounds。 Mr。 Bartlett; who has had such wide experience with animals of all kinds; does not doubt that this is the case; but it is a different question whether the power of erection was primarily acquired for this special purpose。
'8' I have given some details on this subject in my ‘Descent of Man;' vol。 i。 pp。 352; 384。
I will first give a considerable body of facts showing how general this action is with mammals; birds and reptiles; retaining what I have to say in regard to man for a future chapter。 Mr。 Sutton; the intelligent keeper in the Zoological Gardens; carefully observed for me the Chimpanzee and Orang; and he states that when they are suddenly frightened; as by a thunderstorm; or when they are made angry; as by being teased; their hair becomes erect。 I saw a chimpanzee who was alarmed at the sight of a black coalheaver; and the hair rose all over his body; he made little starts forward as if to attack the man; without any real intention of doing so; but with the hope; as the keeper remarked; of frightening him。 The Gorilla; when enraged; is described by Mr。 Ford'9' as having his crest of hair 〃erect and projecting forward; his nostrils dilated; and his under lip thrown down; at the same time uttering his characteristic yell; designed; it would seem; to terrify his antagonists。〃 I saw the hair on the Anubis baboon; when angered bristling along the back; from the neck to the loins; but not on the rump or other parts of the body。 I took a stuffed snake into the monkey…house; and the hair on several of the species instantly became erect; especially on their tails; as I particularly noticed with the _Cereopithecus nictitans_。 Brehm states'10' that the _Midas aedipus_ (belonging to the American division) when excited erects its mane; in order; as he adds; to make itself as frightful as possible。
'9' As quoted in Huxley's ‘Evidence as to Man's Place in Nature;' 1863; p。 52。
With the Carnivora the erection of the hair seems to be almost universal; often accompanied by threatening movements; the uncovering of the teeth and the utterance of savage growls。 In the Herpestes; I have seen the hair on end over nearly the whole body; including the tail; and the dorsal crest is erected in a conspicuous manner by the Hyaena and Proteles。 The enraged lion erects his mane。 The bristling of the hair along the neck and back of the dog; and over the whole body of the cat; especially on the tail; is familiar to every one。 With the cat it apparently occurs only under fear; with the dog; under anger and fear; but not; as far as I have observed; under abject fear; as when a dog is going to be flogged by a severe gamekeeper。 If; however; the dog shows fight; as sometimes happens; up goes his hair。 I have often noticed that the hair of a dog is particularly liable to rise; if he is half angry and half afraid; as on beholding some object only indistinctly seen in the dusk。
I have been assured by a veterinary surgeon that he has often seen the hair erected on horses and cattle; on which he had operated and was again going to operate。 When I showed a stuffed snake to a Peccary; the hair rose in a wonderful manner along its back; and so it does with the boar when enraged。 An Elk which gored a man to death in the United States; is described as first brandishing his antlers; squealing with rage and stamping on the ground; 〃at length his hair was seen to rise and stand on end;〃 and then he plunged forward to the attack。'11' The hair likewise becomes erect on goats; and; as I hear from Mr。 Blyth; on some Indian antelopes。 I have seen it erected on the hairy Ant…eater; and on the Agouti; one of the Rodents。 A female Bat;'12' which reared her young under confinement; when any one looked into the cage 〃erected the fur on her back; and bit viciously at intruding fingers。〃
'10' Illust。 Thierleben; 1864; B。 i。 s。 130。
Birds belonging to all the chief Orders ruffle their feathers when angry or frightened。 Every one must have seen two cocks; even quite young birds; preparing to fight with erected neck…hackles; nor can these feathers when erected serve as a means of defence; for cock…fighters have found by experience that it is advantageous to trim them。 The male Ruff (_Machetes pugnax_) likewise erects its collar of feathers when fighting。 When a dog approaches a common hen with her chickens; she spreads out her wings; raises her tail; ruffles all her feathers; and looking as ferocious as possible; dashes at the intruder。 The tail is not always held in exactly the same position; it is sometimes so much erected; that the central feathers; as in the accompanying drawing; almost touch the back。 Swans; when angered; likewise raise their wings and tail; and erect their feathers。 They open their beaks; and make by paddling little rapid starts forwards; against any one who approaches the water's edge too closely。 Tropic birds'13' when disturbed on