THE GORILLA 37 



same as in man. It is true, indeed, that whereas in man only twelve of these 

 vertebrae carry ribs, in the gorilla and chimpanzee thirteen are so provided ; but 

 this is a matter of minor import, which is entirely overbalanced by the numerical 

 identity of the vertebrae. The other point is the absence of the central bone in the 

 wrist ; so that whereas in man, the chimpanzee, and the gorilla the total number of 

 separate wrist-bones is but nine, in all the other Primates it is ten. This is a very 

 important characteristic in connecting these two apes with man. 



Here we may make a brief digression to explain what zoologists 

 * 10 " s lp mean by the connection and relationship of these apes with man. A 

 great deal of nonsense has been written about the impossibility of man 

 being descended from the chimpanzee, a gorilla, or an orang. No one, however, 

 who knows what he is talking about, can ever suppose for a single moment that 

 such was the case. What zoologists do contend for is that, supposing some kind of 

 evolution to be the true explanation of the origin of animals, and all the available 

 evidence indicates that it is so, man is so intimately connected, so far as his bodily 

 structure is concerned, with the higher apes that, in this respect at least, he cannot 

 but be considered to have had a similar origin. And on this view both man and 

 the Man-like Apes are regarded as diverging branches descended from a common 

 ancestor, "the missing link," long since extinct, and as much unlike any living 

 ape, as such apes are unlike man himself. The gorilla and chimpanzee are 

 presumed to be descended from apes which diverged from the common ancestral 

 stock, subsequent!}' to the assumption of the human attributes of seventeen 

 vertebrae between the sacrum and the neck, and the loss of the central bone in the 

 wrist. 



With these few words on this deeply interesting and important subject, we 

 proceed to a more detailed examination of the gorilla. 



A full-grown male gorilla, if standing in a perfectly upright 

 position, will generally measure rather more than six feet in height ; 

 and since his body is much more bulky, and his limbs are longer than those of a 

 man, he is considerably the largest representative of the Primates. As in the 

 chimpanzee, there are distinct eyebrows on the forehead and lashes to the lids of 

 the eyes. The nose has a relatively long bridge, and its extremity is high, conical, 

 and widely expanded ; the whole length being divided by a distant furrow running 

 down the middle line, and becoming more marked as age advances. The upper lip 

 is remarkable for its shortness ; and the whole of the dark skin in the region of 

 the nose, cheeks, and mouth is marked by a number of rugose folds. The massive 

 jaws are extremely projecting, and with their huge tusks, or canine teeth, complete 

 the repulsive aspect imparted to the expression by the overhanging eyebrows. The 

 lower jaw has scarcely any indication of the prominent chin which is such a 

 characteristic feature in the human countenance, but it slopes rapidly away from 

 the middle line in front, so as to assume a somewhat triangular contour. The 

 whole skin of the face is of deep black color, of a glossy appearance, and sparsely 

 sprinkled with coarse hairs. The ears are comparatively small, with their hinder 

 border sharply angulated in the middle, and appear to be fastened above and 

 behind to the sides of the face. Like the face and lips, the ears are of a deep black 



