GORILLAS 



207 



and so long as the sum of two sides of a triangle is 

 greater than the other side, a gorilla can never 

 bring his leg into a straight line. In the infant 

 state the muscle is pliant or elastic, and the bones 

 less rigid, so that in that state it can be made nearly 

 straight. The habit of hanging by the arms and 

 walking with them in a straight line develops the 

 corresponding muscle in that member, so that the 

 bones can be brought in line. 



The gorilla can stand upon his feet alone, and 

 walk a few steps in that position ; but his motion is 

 awkward, because his knees turn outward, form- 

 ing an angle of 30 or 35 degrees on either 

 side of the mesial plain. He never attempts to 

 walk in this position, except at perfect leisure, and 

 then usually holds on to something with his hands. 

 The tallest gorilla known, when perfectly erect, is 

 about 6 feet 2 inches. 



The leg of the gorilla from the knee to the ankle 

 is almost the same size. In the human leg there is 

 what is called the "calf" of the leg, but this in the 

 apes is very small ; however, there is a slight ten- 

 dency in that direction, and it must be noted that 

 in the human species the calf of the leg appears to 

 belong to the higher types of men ; and as we 

 descend from the highest races of mankind this 

 character disappears as we approach the savage. 

 The pigmies and the bushmen have the smallest of 

 any other men. It is not to be inferred from this 

 that apes would ever have this feature developed in 

 them by elevating them to a higher plane so long 



