24 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
All accounts of tlic life of a Gorilla tell of its moving rapidly amongst trees, climbing readily and 
noiselessly, and gathering its food constantly. It is therefore necessary to examine into the manner 
in which this is done, and liow it relates to the shape and anatomy of the creature. 
In climbing trees, the Gorilla, like a man under the same circumstances, lifts up the arms over 
the head, and clasps or holds on with one hand, but the position of the hand is not the same. Apes 
seize instinctively with the knuckles towards them, and not with the ends of the lingers and palm as 
man: and this makes a great difference, for the muscles of the back are therefore more important to the 
Ape than those of the chest in climbing. Then with some muscular effort the body is lifted or rather 
drawn up, so that the unemployed hand can reach and clasp higher than the other; and having thus 
two hands holding on to a bough or a tree, the muscles of bot h arms are used to draw up the ponderous 
trunk, head, and limbs until the face comes more or less on a level with the wrists. When this is 
accomplished, one of the arms is suddenly forced upwards to enable the huge grasp of the fingers to 
tighten upon a higher fixed point, and the “ liand-over-liand ” process is continued as long as is 
FOREST IX THE GABOON COUNTRY— THE LAND OF THE GORILLA. 
necessary. Doubtless the clasping feet assist in this movement, which is only rarely performed by 
man, but which is one of the commonest with the great Ape. A sailor or an acrobat may often use 
the muscles which are required to perform this feat of carrying upwards the body with the aid of the 
arms, but ordinary people rarely employ their energies in this manner ; the Gorilla, on the contrary, 
must climb often and for some distance every day of its life, both for food, amusement, and for shelter. 
It becomes, therefore, an interesting question whether the Gorilla lias any special muscles or hones which 
enable it to climb easily and rapidly, and for a considerable time, or whether there are the same kinds 
of bones and muscles in its hands, arms, and shoulders, which are to he found in man modified more 
or less. The results of careful inspection have proved that, although there are no peculiar structures 
given to the great Ape wherewith it may climb, still the bones of the arms and shoulders, and the 
muscles which are attached to them, greatly as they resemble those of man, are larger and stronger. 
Bone for bone, and almost muscle for muscle, the climbing limbs of the man and the Gorilla may be 
compared with extraordinary exactness; the structures of the last-mentioned being, as it were, simple 
exaggerations of the former, and the increased size bearing a distinct relation to the agility and energy 
displayed. It must be remembered, however, that whilst in man the muscles of the chest assist 
principally in climbing, in the Ape those of the back and shoulders are the most important. 
It is hardly necessary to notice the relation which bones and muscles have to movement, and the 
