Zt)()I.()(ilCAI, SOflKTY BULLETIN 



1183 



CUNH.lLI iil. 1 WKEN (iORILLA AND NATIVK HUNlhKS 



end of a three montlis' sojourn at I'eriian \'az, 

 of general lack of stamina. Dinah, a lovely fe- 

 male gorilla three years of age. landed in New 

 York on August 21, lOli, the last wild animal 

 to come out of Africa prior to the complete em- 

 bargo of war ! Thanks to the kind co-operation 

 of the Zoological Society and Gardens of Rot- 

 terdam, where Mr. Garner and Dinah inconti- 

 nently landed to escape the war, the gorilla was 

 handsomely cared for during the anxious weeks 

 that elapsed before it became possible to se- 

 cure steamer accommodations to New York. 

 Those were the days that tried the souls of 

 tourists and gorillas alike. 



It is the firm belief of Mr. Garner tliat, taken 

 all in all, Dinah was at that time "the best 

 gorilla tliat ever came out of Africa." For a 

 wonder of wonders, she was (and still is) 

 cheerful, good-natured and affectionate, instead 

 of being, like other captive gorillas, morose, 

 savage and resentful. She ate with relish sev- 

 eral kinds of civilized food, and drank quanti- 

 ties of water. In order to improve the shining 

 hour, she was immediately placed on exhibition, 

 and even the great throngs of people who 

 flocked to the Primate House to see her did not 

 seem to annov her in the least. 



Without any violent jar, iier affections were 

 skillfully expanded until they embraced her 

 new keeper, Fred Engeliolm, who was detached 

 from the service of all tiie common baboons and 

 monkeys of the collection and concentrated on 

 the anthropoid apes. Dinah made friends with 

 many jjcrsons, including secretaries, directors, 

 curators, keepers, reporters and photographers. 

 She posed for scores of pictures, moving and 

 fixed, and in every waj' strove to fill the high 

 position in the zoological world to which nature 

 and tlie Zoological Society had elected her. 



When Dinah arrived, the first thing seen of 

 her was her nose. Its half human elevation is 

 a general focus of attention. Her whole face 

 is jet black, and as shiny and smooth as pol- 

 isiied ebony. Next to her nose, her most cap- 

 tivating feature is her large, liquid-brown eyes 

 that make a distinct appeal to human sympathy. 

 They are indeed human-like, and in develop- 

 ment far above the elfish, cunning orbs of the 

 chimi)anzee. or the small, jjig-like eyes of the 

 orang. I cannot recall that thus far any ob- 

 server has pointedly called attention to the 

 Jumianlikeness of the gorilla's eyes, but really, 

 it is tlie second feature that should be noted in 

 tliat remarkable animal. Both in shape and in 



