HABITS OF THE GORILLA 



As to the succession of the kingship there is no 

 certainty, but the facts point to the belief that on 

 the death of the king, if there be an adult male he 

 assumes the royal prerogative, otherwise the family 

 disbands, and they are absorbed by or attached to 

 other families. Whether this new leader is elected 

 in the manner that other animals appoint a leader, or 

 assumes it by reason of his age, cannot be said ; but 

 there is no doubt that in many instances families 

 remain intact for a time after the death of their 

 leader. 



It has been said by many that the gorilla builds a 

 rude hut or shelter for himself and family, but I have 

 found no evidence that such is true. The natives 

 declare that he does so, and some white men affirm 

 the same ; but during my travels through their 

 habitat, I offered liberal and frequent rewards to any 

 native who would show me one of these specimens 

 of simian architecture, but I was never able to find 

 any trace of one made or occupied by any ape. 

 They may sometimes, and doubtless do, take shelter 

 from the tornadoes, but it is always under some 

 fallen tree or cluster of broad leaves, and there is 

 nothing to show that they arrange any part of them. 

 So far as I could find, there is no proof that any 

 gorilla ever put two sticks together with the idea of 

 shelter. As to his throwing sticks or stones at an 

 enemy, I have found nothing to verify it ; in my 

 opinion, it is a mere freak of fancy. 



The current opinion or idea that a gorilla will 

 attack a man without being provoked to it, is an 



