The raising of the eyebrows is necessary in order that
the eyes should be opened quickly and widely; and this
movement produces transverse wrinkles across the forehead.
The degree to which the eyes and mouth are opened corresponds
with the degree of surprise felt; but these movements must
be coordinated; for a widely opened mouth with eyebrows only
slightly raised results in a meaningless grimace, as Dr. Duchenne
has shown in one of his photographs.[1] On the other hand,
a person may often be seen to pretend surprise by merely
raising his eyebrows.
Dr. Duchenne has given a photograph of an old man with his
eyebrows well elevated and arched by the galvanization of
the frontal muscle; and with his mouth voluntarily opened.
This figure expresses surprise with much truth.
I showed it to twenty-four persons without a word of explanation,
and one alone did not at all understand what was intended.
A second person answered terror, which is not far wrong; some of
the others, however, added to the words surprise or astonishment,
the epithets horrified, woful, painful, or disgusted.
[1] `Mecanisme de la Physionomie,' Album, 1862, p.
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