The Apes. MAMMALIA. The Gorilla. 19 
with poisoned arrows.” Another early English tra- 
spirits, was also obtained, and by this the title of the 
veller, Johson, and Pyrard de Laval, a Frenchman, 
animal to rank as a distinct species has been finally 
appear to have combined the accounts of the Pongo of 
established. 
Battel with the chimpanzee, as was also done at a 
This specimen, which is about five feet in height 
much later period (1738) by De la Brosse. The nar- 
when placed in an erect position, has the face and the 
ratives of these writers have already been quoted. 
palms of the hands and feet naked and black. The 
(See page 17.) 
head and neck are thickly covered with brownish 
This view of the identity of the two African apes 
grizzled hair of moderate length, which does not hang 
was adopted by Buffon, who regarded the pongo as the 
down at the sides of the face so as to form whiskers. 
adult of the animal described by him under the name 
as in the chimpanzee. The ears, also, are much 
of the jocko, and at the same time confounded both 
smaller than in the latter species; they are placed 
with the orang-outan of the great Eastern Islands.' 
very high and far back on the sides of the head. The 
Later naturalists, whilst admitting the specific and even 
hair of the shoulders and upper part of the arms is 
generic difference of the orang and the chimpanzee. 
grizzled ; that of the back and loins has a sooty tinge. 
still referred all the accounts of the large African 
The fore-arras are covered with stiff, black hair, directed 
apes to the latter ; and it was not until the year 1829 
up towards the elbow as in the chimpanzee. The hair 
that attention was called by Mrs. Bowdich ' to the 
on the chest is very scanty; but the belly is more 
reported existence of a second species of ape on the 
thickly clothed, and the hair of this part is reddish- 
West African coast. At the close of a paper on the 
brown, and exceedingly coarse and harsh, having a 
habits of the Diana monkey, published in Loudon's 
withered appearance. One of the most remarkable 
Magazine of Natural Hislory, that talented lady refers 
characters of the species, which is now commonly 
briefly to tlie accounts which she had heard of the 
known as the Gorilla, is that the digits of both pairs 
existence of an animal named Enge-ena in the coun- 
of extremities are united together much further than 
tries to the north of the Gaboon river. She says : — 
in the chimpanzee, whose hands nearly resemble those 
“ The natives describe it as the largest of all monkeys, 
of the human species; in the new species, on the con- 
but of a breadth more tremendous than its height; they 
trarjq the fingers of the hands are united nearly as far 
declare that one blow of its paw would fell a man to 
as the ends of the first phalanges, whilst in the hinder 
the earth. Both males and females are very much 
hands the union even goes beyond these, leaving only 
attached to their young, and the latter carry them 
four little stumpy fingers free. The thumb of the 
about after death until they drop from their arms. 
anterior hands is comparatively small ; but that of the 
They are fond of imitating men ; walk upright ; and 
hinder pair is of enormous size and power, and the 
having seen the natives collect ivory, if they find a 
whole foot forms a grasping apparatus of the most 
tusk, they carry it on their shoulders till they sink with 
tremendous character. From the callous marks upon 
fatigue.” Although some of these statements are 
the knuckles it is evident that the Gorilla, when on 
doubtless fabulous, others have been fully confirmed by 
the ground, walks upon all-fours, and that he does 
recent authorities, and it is remarkable that this refer- 
not apply the whole lower surface of the foot to the 
ence to the gorilla should have hitherto escaped the 
ground ; in fact the digits of the hinder hands appear 
attention of naturalists. It w.as only in 1847 that cer- 
to be bent naturally in such a way as to render this 
tain evidence of the occurrence of a second species of 
impossible. 
African ape was obtained. In April of that year, Dr. 
The inspection of the specimen above described, 
Savage, an American missionary, on paying a visit to 
which has been most admirably prepared, in spite of 
one of his confreres, Dr. Wilson, stationed on the 
almost insuperable difficulties, by Mr. Bartlett, is quite 
Gaboon river (situated almost exactly under the equa- 
sufficient to justify all the accounts given by travellers 
tor), obtained several skulls of individuals, of both 
of the fearful powers of the gorilla. Although not 
sexes and of different ages, together with some other 
fully mature, as is shown by the state of its dentition. 
portions of the skeleton of a large ape, which appeared 
the vast bulk of its body, far exceeding that of even 
to him to differ both from the orang and from the 
the most powerful men, its long arms, and enormously 
chimpanzee. On his return to America, Dr. Savage, 
large hands and feet, produce an impression of almost 
with the aid of Dr. Wyman, drew up a description of 
irresistible strength ; and when we consider that besides 
these bones, which was published in 1840 in the Boston 
this enormous grasping power — to attempt to escape 
Journal of Natural History; he called the species 
from which would be utterly hopeless — the adult male 
Troglodytes Gorilla, conceiving that it was identical 
is furnished with canine teeth as large as those of a 
with the Gorilloi of Hanno. In the following year. 
carnivorous beast, set in immensely powerful jaws, of 
Professor Owen, who had received sketches of the 
which the lower one, as evidenced by the great deve- 
skulls from Dr. Savage, and had subsequently obtained 
lopment of the crests upon the skull, is moved by 
some specimens by the aid of Mr. Stutchbury of Bristol, 
temporal muscles of enormous bulk; we can easily 
described the species under the name of Troglodytes 
imagine that such a creature must be one of the most 
Savagei; and in 1849 an adult male specimen, pre- 
terrible antagonists that a man could well meet with. 
served in spirits, was brought to Paris by Dr. Fran- 
and cease to wonder that the Negro elephant-hunters 
quet; a French naval surgeon. A skeleton was subse- 
should dread him even more than the lion. 
quently procured for the British Museum, where it has 
Whether the gorilla really attains the immense size 
now been for some years; and within the last few 
of six or seven feet attributed to him by some travellers, 
i 
months a fine male, nearly adult, and preserved in 
is still rather doubtful. The specimen in the Paris 
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