342 Miscellaneous. 



of the skins of the Gorilla exhibited by M. Du Chaillu offered any 

 evidence of having been shot in the fore part of the chest, as in- 

 variably stated in his ' Narrative.' My own examination entirely 

 confirmed this remark ; and the unanimous conclusion of numerous 

 sportsmen and men of science, who have since examined both skins 

 and skeletons, has been to the same effect. 



"The skin and skeleton, referred to in Prof. Owen's paper, are 

 both, as stated, in the British Museum. While the skin was being 

 stuffed at the Crystal Palace by Mr. Wilson, I paid a visit to that 

 establishment, in the company of Mr. Grove, the Secretary, and 

 several friends. I then inquired of Mr. Wilson whether he had 

 observed any bullet-hole in the chest, and he stated that he had not, 

 but pointed out to me two holes in the nape of the neck (now filled 

 with putty) ; there are also two large holes in the thin portion of 

 the hinder part of the skull belonging to the same skin, which pass 

 through the bone, and are quite sufficient to have caused death. In 

 neither skin nor skeleton is there any evidence of a gunshot entering 

 on the left side of the chest ; and the fracture of three (not of two) 

 ribs on the right side beneath the scapula, and the supposed corre- 

 sponding rent in the skin, are so utterly unlike the effects of a gun- 

 shot, that no sportsman could possibly so consider them. These 

 are facts so easily verified that I trust all who feel an interest in the 

 subject will examine and decide for themselves. I might cite many 

 names of high authority in corroboration of what I have here ad- 

 vanced ; but I am not disposed to appeal to any authority, however 

 great, where the facts are open to the inspection of all. On these, 

 and these only, I rest my case. 



" I shall be obliged by the reading of this letter in the Natural 

 History Section, and remain, yours faithfully, 



To Prof . Babiwgton. "John Edw. Gray." 



The President added that he had addressed a note to Professor 

 Owen, hoping that he would be able to meet and converse with him 

 on the subject. But, unfortunately, the Professor was just on the 

 point of leaving Manchester for two or three days, and was at that 

 moment away. He had received a note, from which Professor Owen 

 requested him to read a few words, but as he did not know the 

 nature of Dr. Gray's letter, he could not, of course, answer it. Pro- 

 fessor Owen said that he merely recorded his observations of two 

 points or holes in the stuffed skin of the great male Gorilla — one 

 small, and the opposite one large : the two ribs opposite had been 

 fractured just before death, and the fractured end was stained with 

 blood, there being no evidence of repair. His observations were made 

 before as well as after the stuffing of the skin. 



Dr. P. L. Sclater said that, when he examined the skull, he 

 thought he saw a bullet-mark in the back of it. He had asked 

 Professor Owen whether he had observed it, and received an answer 

 in the negative. He had not made any special observation of the 

 skin ; but he had put the question to Mr. Bartlett and Mr. Wilson, 

 who prepared the skin, and they both told him that there was a hole 

 in the neck. 



