[No. VIII.]
Neither is there any expression of ferocity, but of home comfort, in these two maneless Lions—or Lion and Lioness of Senegal. That which is asleep, however, rather illustrates our definition of Character, and is so far out of the question. The Lioness—who is awake, is a kind of Belle-Sauvage. Entirely without ferocity, she has some little expression of attention gently aroused by some slight cause—less important, we should think than the distant cry of a Chacal—a noise in the den, perhaps, not loud enough to make it worth while to wake her companion in order to see what’s the matter. But her expression of countenance, is almost as mild as that of a kitten in a chimney corner.—In fact, they seem—notwithstanding their Herculean strength—a kind of hearth-rug Lions.[[1]]
After venturing to express this slight difference of opinion (if it amount to so much) with our distinguished anatomist of Expression, we return, with becoming respect, to his valuable Treatise: though as we do not propose to exhibit, like him, an anatomical and comparative view of the Carnivorous and Gramnivorous genera, we shall confine ourselves to a short extract or two, relating to the Carnivora alone—
“It is of man alone that we can with strict propriety say the countenance is an index of the mind, having expression corresponding with each emotion of the soul. Other animals have no expression but that which arises by mere accident, the concomitant of the emotions necessary to the accomplishment of the object of the passions.”—
“I have to remark, as relative to painting, (my original subject of enquiry) that this remarkable difference between the expression in man, and animals, naturally leads us to investigate what are the peculiarities of mere animal expression.
“In order to see distinctly what the peculiarities of mere animal expression are, it seems proper to reduce the muscles of expression in animals, to their proper classes. These muscles, as they appear in the several quadrupeds, may be distinguished into—1. Those which raise the lips from the teeth: 2. Those which surround the eye-lids: and 3. Those which move the nostrils.”
He next proceeds to state that “in the Carnivorous animal, the muscles of the lip are so directed as to raise the lip from the canine teeth;”—and these he distinguishes by the name of “Ringentes, or snarling muscles.”
[8]
E. Spilsbury delt. T. Landseer sculpt.
Senegal Lion & Lioness after Reydinger.