1278 General Notes. . [December, 
ments even if they conflicted with my own observations, because 
he understands them better than I do. It may be interesting to 
note that the people here look upon them as entirely distinct from 
themselves, yet they call them men, “wild men” and “furrent 
men.” 
The gorilla cannot make a fire, does not build a house or shel- 
ter, and does not fight with weapons except such as nature gives 
him in his own body. He will seize the gun or spear of his 
adversary and break but will not attempt to use it in his own 
defence. It is about practically impossible to keep the gorilla for 
any length of time in captivity. He becomes dejected and morose, 
and either starves himself or else dies apparently of a broken 
heart. Traders and others occasionally get young ones—I had 
one myself—but they do not seem happy as do chimpanzees and 
other apes, and they all die in the course of a few weeks. I do 
not suppose an opportunity to obtain another body will occur 
again, if it should I will send it to you. With kindest regards I 
remain as ever—oseph H. Reading, Kangwe Mission Staton, 
Ogowé river, West Africa. 
ZOOLOGICAL Notes.—General_—The British Museum has recently 
published as a separate volume a report on the zodlogical collec- 
tions made in the Indo-Pacific during the voyage of H. M.S. Alert, 
1881-82. More than three-fourths of the volume is none A 
by an account of the species found in Northeastern Australia a 
Torres straits. Examination of the specimens of Branco = 
affords Dr. Giinther an opportunity to revise that genus, of whic 
he admits six species. The report describes many new. Mollusca, ? 
four new asteroids, four new ophiuroids and six new holothurians- ce 
Most of the twenty-seven or twenty-eight kinds of crinoids i 
new, and so are forty-five of the 203 Crustacea described. ei ol 
species of fixed alcyonarians and forty-two out of 110 kinds 
Sponges are described as new. Though eighty-six of the Tide. : 
Species are siliceous, none of them belong to the Herm ero 
Among the new forms from the Western Indian ocean are tt 7 
coppingeri (named after Dr. Coppinger, the naturalist of e : 
dition). A considerable number of rare or undescribed orms of 
Crustacea were procured at the Amirante, Providence an 
rioso islands, and twenty one new sponges are describe Ro 
Mollusca.—As a result of a series of investigations om s 
at Banyuls and at the Ecole Normale, M. Houssay pina of 
conclusion that there is no homology between the ope nous ae 
the Gastropoda and the byssus of the Acephala, and f . of the 
tween the operculum of the former and the second ek of a 
latter group. The operculum is an epithelial pronu uct 
corneous or calcareous structure, while the byssus 1S This foot- 
of a gland situated in the anterior part of the fopt- ak as- 
gland of the. Acephala is represènted in a large number 
d Glo- 
