24 THE RISE OF MAN. 



Like all other anthropoid apes the gorilla is vegetarian 

 in his diet. He eats berries, ribs of banana leaves, coco- 

 nuts and similar vegetable food. He seems to possess 

 strong teeth for the purpose of opening nuts whose shells 

 man can break only with a heavy hammer. Being strong 

 he requires much food, and is a voracious eater. By a 

 constant need of new food he has developed migratory 

 habits, and his presence is destructive to all edible plants 



YOUNG MALE GORILLA. 



(After Hartmann.) 



in his neighborhood. He is an .especially unwelcome 

 guest to sugar-cane plantations, where he can do great 

 harm in a short time. 



The first historical information about the gorilla we 

 find contained in an ancient work entitled Periplous Han- 

 nonis (Expedition of Hanno) which describes the Cartha- 

 ginian admiral's bold enterprise of founding colonies in 



