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Show 1873.] COMMUNICATION FROM CAPT. R. BEAVAN. 6S5 away and die, and by habituating it to such food as is generally to be found on shipboard, I thought that the chance of its surviving the voyage to England would be greatly increased, and was anxiously looking out for the arrival of the ' Helen,' by which vessel I intended sending it to Liverpool, when it disappeared in the most mysterious manner on the morning of the 1st hist., the 'Helen' being then actually in sight, which caused its loss to be felt all the more keenly. On the previous evening the Gorilla came into the dining cabin as we sat down to dinner, remaining under the table during that repast in company with its canine friend, both of them eating such scraps as were given to them. There it went to sleep and was left about 9 P.M., after which it was seen by no one, excepting the mate, who saw it in the same place at daylight; soon after which it must have clambered up and fallen over the taff-rail into the sea unseen, which is the more strange, as with the exception of occasionally getting into the mate's berth and covering itself with its bedding, it was not addicted to climbing. Thus again (for the present) are destroyed my hopes of being the first to send so interesting an animal alive to England ; but 1 shall not relax m y endeavours. " The present instance may be added to m y previous testimony as to the facility of taming the young Gorilla. On this point my experience is totally at variance with what has been advanced by M. D u Chaillu, who never had any thing like the same opportunities as myself of forming a correct opinion on the subject. In fact, in this respect, I think I have the advantage of all visitors to this part of Africa, having resided here upward^ of twenty years, during which period I have had no less than six living Gorillas in m y possession, keeping them from three weeks to four months each. Besides this I have seen at least as many more in the possession of others, all of which were quickly tamed, with the exception of one male about seven or eight years old." Mr. J. B. Perrin read a paper on the myology of Opisthocomus cristatus, his dissections having been based on two specimens transmitted to Mr. Sclater by Hr. Kappler of the Maroni river, Surinam, and deposited in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons. Many of the muscles are described ; and there are notes respecting the enormous crop, which rests in a kind of shallow basin formed on the anterior superior portion of the pectoral region, causing a modification of the great pectoral muscle, and thinning those fibres which take origin above the superior point of the peculiarly modified carina sterni. The second pectoral (subclavius) is attached to the head of the humerus, running as usual through the pulley in the head of the coracoid bone. The coraco-brachialis longus and brevis are present. This paper will be published entire in the Society's/ Transactions.' A communication was read from Capt. R. Beavan, Bengal Staff Corps, C.M.Z.S., containing a list of fishes met with in the river Nerbudda, Miliar district of India. |
