HABITS OF THE GORILLA 219 



one side and slightly backward. When he had 

 seized his adversary by the leg, he would instantly 

 swing the other arm round with a long sweep and 

 strike the boy a hard blow ; then he began to use 

 his teeth. He seemed to depend more upon the 

 blow than the grasp, but the latter served to hold 

 the object of attack within reach ; in every case he 

 kept one arm and one leg in reserve until he had 

 seized his adversary. It is true that these attacks 

 were made upon an enemy in pursuit, but his mode 

 appeared to be a normal one ; he could strike a severe 

 blow, and did not show any sign of tearing or 

 scratching his opponent. In these attacks he made 

 no sound of any kind. I do not pretend to say that 

 other gorillas do not scream or tear their victims, but 

 I take it that the habits of the young are much, if 

 not quite, the same as those of their parents, and 

 from a study of this specimen I am forced to modify 

 many opinions imbibed from reading or from pictures 

 and specimens which I have seen. Many of them 

 represent the gorilla in absurd and sometimes impos- 

 sible attitudes. They certainly do not represent him 

 as I have seen him in his native wilds. 



When the chimpanzee attacks, so far as I have 

 seen among my own specimens, he approaches his 

 enemy and strikes with both hands, one slightly in 

 advance of the other. After striking a few blows, 

 he will grasp his opponent and use his teeth, then 

 shoving him away again uses his hands, and usually, 

 on beginning the attack, accompanies the assault 

 with a loud, piercing scream. Neither he nor the 



