Dr. L. J. Sanford on the Gorilla. 61 
prehension, or as weapons of offense. DuChaillu states that his 
favorite diet consists of, “the wild sugar cane; pine apple 
leaves; certain berries which grow close to the ground; the pith 
of some trees, and a kind of nut with a very hard shell.’ 
Such food seems quite insufficient for so large and powerful an 
animal,—most vegetable food, as compared with animal, con- 
taining a comparatively small proportion of nutritive substance. 
If this kind suffices, he must, like herbivorous animals generally, 
require to spend a great deal of time in feeding. His large 
paunch or stomach is much like,theirs, and is peculiarly adapted 
to the digestion of vegetable aliment. 
The gorilla, in his mode of life, is said to be a restless and 
nomadic creature, not remaining stationary, long, in any locality, 
- but roaming about in many forests; this is not improbable, for 
a moderate region of country would not supply him with a suf- 
ficiency of food for a very long time. 
_ He is non-gregarious—only the members of the same family 
live and move together. DuChaillu met, and heard of, no excep- 
tions to this; he tells us also, that they are usually found im 
dark and gloomy places, preferring the jungles to open woods. 
At night, the young animals lodge in trees, while the old ones 
sleep and keep guard near by, below. : 
_ [tis not yet known whether the gorillais tameable. DuChaillu 
18 convinced that it is not, but we think he decides the question 
on insufficient evidence. His observations with reference to this 
in the London Atheneum for Sept. 21st, 1861.—Mr. Walker is 
the proprietor of a mercantile agency located near the Gaboon, 
in Western A frica,—he says, “The statement of the untameabil- 
ity of the youre of the gorilla, is untrue. In proof whereof, 
