Gorilla-land is a richly-wooded extent of the western part of 

 Africa, traversed by the rivers Danger and Gaboon, and extending 

 from the equator to the 10th or 15th degree of south latitude. The 

 part where the Gorilla has been most frequently met with presents a 

 succession of hill and dale, the heights crowned with lofty trees, the 

 valleys covered by coarse grass, with partial scrub or scattered shrubs. 

 Fruit trees of various kinds abound both on the hills and in the 

 valleys ; some that are crude and uncared for by the Negros are 

 sought out and greedily eaten by the Gorillas ; and as different 

 kinds come to maturity at different seasons, they afford the great 

 denizen of the woods a successive and unfailing supply of indigenous 

 fruits. Of these Professor Owen specified the following sources : — 



The palm-nut (Elais guiniensis) of which the Gorillas greatly 

 affect the fruit and upper part of the stipe, called the "cabbage." 

 The Negros of the Gaboon have a tradition that their forefathers 

 first learnt to eat the "cabbage," from seeing the Gorilla eat it, 

 concluding that what was good for him must be good for man. 



The "ginger-bread tree" (Parinarium excelsum), which bears a 

 plum-like fruit. 



The papau tree (Carica papaya). 



The banana (Miisa sapientium), and another species (Musa para- 

 disiacd) . 



The Amomum afselii and Am. grandiflorum. 



A tree, with a shelled fruit, like a walnut, which the Gorilla 

 breaks open with the blow of a stone. 



A tree, also botanically unknown, with a fruit like a cherry. 



Such fruits and other rich and nutritious productions of the vege- 

 table kingdom, constitute the staple food of the Gorilla, as they do 

 of the Chimpanzee. The molar teeth, which alone truly indicate 

 the diet of an animal, accord wdth the statements as to the frugi- 

 vorous character of the Gorilla : but they also suflSciently answer to 

 an omnivorous habit to suggest that the eggs and callow brood of 

 nests discovered in the trees frequented by the Gorilla might not be 

 unacceptable. 



The Gorilla makes a sleeping place like a hammock, connecting 

 the branches of a sheltered and thickly -leaved part of a tree by means 

 of the long tough slender stems of parasitic plants, and lining it with 

 the broad dried fronds of palms, or with long grass. This hammock- 

 like abode may be seen at different heights, from 10 to 40 feet from 

 the ground, but there is never more than one such nest in a tree. 



They avoid the abodes of man, but are most commonly seen in the 

 months of September, October, and November, after the negroes 

 have gathered their outlying rice-crops, and have returned from the 

 " bush" to the village. So observed, they are described to be 

 usually in pairs ; or, if more, the addition consists of a few young- 

 ones, of different ages, and apparently of one family. The Gorilla 

 is not gregarious. The parents may be seen sitting on a branch, 

 resting the back against the tree-trunk — the hair being generally 

 rubbed off the back of the old Gorilla from that habit — perhaps 



