234 ANTHROPOID APES. 



into a corner. At sucli times his size, strength, and 

 dexterity makes him a by no means despicable 

 enemy. He sends forth a kind of howl or furious 

 yelp, stands up on his hind legs like an enraged 

 bear, advances with clumsy gait in this position 

 and attacks his enemy. At the same time the hair 

 on his head and the nape of the neck stands erect, 

 his teeth are displayed, and his eyes flash with 

 savage fury. He beats his massive breast with his 

 fists, or fights the air with them. Koppenfels adds 

 that if no further provocation is given, and his 

 opponent gradually retreats before the animal's rage 

 has reached its highest point, he does not return to 

 the attack. In other cases he parries the blows 

 directed against him with the skill of a practised 

 fighter ; as is also done by the bear, he grasps his 

 opponent by the arm and crunches it, or else throws 

 the man down and rends him with his terrible 

 canine teeth. 



The native hunter stalks the gorilla and kills him 

 with his firearm. Savage states that the hunter 

 awaits the approach of his prey with levelled gun, 

 and if he cannot take a sure aim he allows the 

 animal to seize the barrel of the gun, and fires 

 when, as is commonly the case, he tries to carry it 

 to his mouth. If the weapon does not go oif, the 

 barrel, which is not strongly made, is crushed be- 

 tween his teeth. When hunters of the Ogovve are 

 attacked by a gorilla, they will sometimes make 

 a last attempt to defend themselves from the animal's 

 fury with the axe used for felling trees. Buchholz 

 told me that he had seen the skin of a male gorilla 



