122 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. iv. 



Museum. There was in this animal a marked 

 characteristic in the organisation of the innermost 

 digit — the thumb — which was found on both 

 feet and hands, and showed it to be a creature 

 of the forest. The trunk of the animal was the 

 trunk of a giant. The chest was girt with thir- 

 teen pairs of ribs — one pair more than ours — and 

 the lungs were well developed, a development 

 that was always in accordance with the physical 

 powers, and which was nowhere greater than 

 in this singular animal. The arms were very 

 long in proportion to the height of the animal ; 

 but, with regard to the brain, it was not one-fourth 

 the bulk of the brain of the lowest form of the 

 .human species. The brain, like the eye, was 

 an organ that very rapidly attained its full size 

 in all creatures. In the gorilla, as he had said, 

 it was small compared with that of the human 

 race. The animal had formidable teeth, corre- 

 sponding with the character of the skull, but the 

 development of the canine teeth was almost 

 peculiar to the males. With the immense 

 strength he possessed, the gorilla could combat 

 the lion, and it was certain that the lion never 

 went near the forest where the gorilla dwelt. 

 He could strangle the leopard, and he was 

 able to defend himself and family from all 

 enemies except man and his rifle. The gorillas 

 had acquired a certain range of rich country 

 on the equator of Africa, and they held their 



