630 THE HIGHER ANTHROPOIDS 



claimc'cl, lurk in trees by the roadside to drag up witli its great arms the 

 unsuspecting passer-by, later to choke him to death. He discredited the 

 statement that these animals attack the elephant and beat him to death with 

 sticks, or that they carried oil \\ omen ol the natixe villages to de\'our them m 

 the depths of the forest. He did not even belle\e that the gorilla built itself a 

 house of leaves and twigs among the trees, and denied that it ever became 

 gregarious to the extent attributed to it in many stories. It did not settle in 

 large communities nor did it assemble in great numbers to make concerted 

 attacks upon men who established their habitations near the confines of its 

 forest home. Du Chaillu observed that the animal inhal:)ited the loneliest 

 ]:)()rtions of the dense African jungles and seemed to prefer deep, wooded 

 valleys and rugged heights. The high plains covered \)\ large boulders were 

 also its favorite haunts. In general, a plentilul supply ol water is lound m 

 such territories. 



The animal appears to have a roaming tendency which may be induced 

 by the necessity of obtammg food. It is rarely found in the same place two 

 days in succession. It wanders from region to region over long ranges in search 

 of such food as pineapple leaves, berries and other vegetable matter of which 

 the animal is a large eater. W ild sugar cane has been mentioned among the 

 things upon which it subsists, as well as nuts whose hard shells are cracked I)y 

 the powerlul ]aws. The animal slet'j^s sitting upon the ground N\ith its back 

 against the trunk of the tree, and when full-grown seldom ascends high 

 among the branches. The young slix'p in the trees and possibly the lemales 

 may occasionally do so. In spite of tlu'ir reputation for ferocity, the gorillas 

 are in reality shy, and the female especiallx will run to shelter at the lirst 

 sound of alarm, carrying her young w ith her il she has one. The male is not so 

 precipitate in his flight. I le rises upon his hmdU'gs for a moment, show ing his 

 savage visage in the underbrush. Tlu'ii, glaring at the intruder, he begins to 

 beat his breast with his closed lists at the same time lifting up his head and 



