THE HABITS OF THE GORILLA. 179 
confined on it, and it is then deserted. Possibly a gorilla 
might be detected sleeping in one now and then, as birds 
often roost in old nests, but it is not made for that pur- 
pose. 
The gorilla is partly terrestrial in its habits. It moves 
on all fours, sometimes assuming the erect position, but 
with difficulty, and only for a short time. As it goes 
along it breaks the branches of trees on either side ; 
sometimes it ascends a tree to feed upon the fruit. The 
plantations of the natives are usually at some distance 
from their villages; the gorilla frequently visits them to 
eat the plantain and the sugar-cane, especially at morn 
and eve. At night it chooses a large tree to sleep in. 
Its ordinary cry is of a plaintive character ; when enraged, 
it is a kind of bark, or short, abrupt roar. It does not 
attack man without provocation. When assailed or 
wounded, it charges on all fours, seizes the offensive ob- 
ject, bites it, and immediately retreats. 
The gorilla is polygamous, and the male is frequently 
solitary ; in fact, I have never seen more than one track 
at atime: but there is no doubt that both gorillas and 
chimpanzees are also found in bands. The males are 
said to fight with one another in the rutting season. The 
dung is like that of man, but notched in a peculiar man- 
ner. There appears to be little difference in the habits 
of the gorilla and the chimpanzee. The former ape is 
confined to a smaller area, at least as far as we know. The 
chimpanzee is said by the natives to be more intelligent, 
and less ferocious. They also, though feeding on the 
same kind of food, appear to prefer different sorts ; for 
Which reason it is, probably, that they are found in dif- 
ferent localities. 
I have seen one young gorilla in a state of captivity ; it 
