270 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1936 



The second meeting provided an entirely new noise — as far as I am 

 aware there is no published description* — a curiously metallic bub- 

 bling note. It was much too even and fast for any breast-beating, 

 and rippled forth as if made by rapidly closing and parting the lips. 

 It must have been a signal, presumably uttered by the big male, 

 probably a warning, as at that time the gorillas may have got the 

 wind of our party. But beyond that sudden clear-cut ripple there 

 was nothing to suggest that the gorillas were particularly on the 

 qui vive, except possibly the care they took to keep well hidden, 

 until more than half an hour later when one member of our party 

 lit a cigarette, and a wisp of blue smoke drifted toward the con- 

 cealed troop. Within a few moments there was a raucous bark from 

 the male, and there was menace in its tone. 



After that at 10-minute intervals until we decided to withdraw 

 this bark was uttered. The situation was none too happy for the 

 writer, who was acting as the protective unit — for a game warden 

 it was an unenviable position. On the one hand, the sacred person 

 of the governor, on the other the almost sacred and strictly pro- 

 tected gorilla. If the old male got really crusty, how close dare he 

 be allowed to come, to make certain that he was only demonstrating ? 

 A radius of 10 paces was visualized, so near and no nearer, and just 

 to cheer matters up the private secretary from time to time with a 

 garrotting clutch at my throat hissed in my ear — "You must not 

 shoot until the hand is out to grasp !" It was an awkward, tense 

 period waiting for the unl^nown to happen, and if it did uncertain 

 how to tackle it. As matters were, I do not suppose there was the 

 least danger, but while patiently waiting there was plenty of time 

 to think. 



The Wambutte and Bachiga have a rich fund of strange tales 

 in regard to gorilla behavior with which they regale one from 

 time to time. Among the most entertaining is the idea that a 

 gorilla will play "possum" sometimes when it realizes it has been 

 observed by an intruding human. It pretends to run away, staggers 

 about, then falls down and covers itself with dead leaves and any 

 handy rubbish, and lies quite still. The intruder, puzzled, goes 



* The appended extract from a letter written by Mr. F. S. Collier of the Nigeria Forest 

 Service, in West Africa, Is of particular interest : 



"That also reminds me that one point Interested me very much in a report of yours of 

 gorillas which I read some months ago but which I haven't got by me at the moment. 

 As far as I remember, you commented on a "metallic bubbling noise" made by gorillas. I 

 have only been near them once. In the Cameroons — a big solitary male which I couldn't 

 get up to. In very thick stuff. Several times he made a queer noise which commenced as a 

 quiet bubbling and gradually increased in volume, varying as though with the intalse and 

 expulsion of breath, and culminating in two or three snarling belches of tremendous 

 volume. The native hunter said it was the beast's stomach and I imagined the noise to be 

 involuntary as he was apparently alone and apparently not aware of our presence, for 

 he kept moving on quietly and sitting down for short spells, until we got fed up with the 

 heavy rain which was falling and chucked it." — C. R. S. P. 



