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Show 50 that have been captured were killed by elephant-hunters a~d nati.v e trad ers, as th ey came suddenly upon them while passing through the forests. . "It is said that when the male is first seen he glvcs t .fi yell that resounds far and wide through the forest, a &TI c ' h .11 Fr· someth I. ng 11·1 r e kh - ah I· kh-ah I· prolonged and s. ri. . I.S enormous J·a ws a re widely opened at ea.c h e.x puahon, Ins under lip hangs over the chin, and the hauy ridge and scalp are contracted upon the brow, presenting an aspect of indescribable ferocity. "The females and young, at the first cry, quickly dis-appear. l-Ie then approaches the enemy. in great fury, pouring out his horrid cries in quick successi~n .. T~e h~nter awaits his approach with his gun extended: 1f his a1m IS not sure, he permits the animal to grasp the barrel, and as he carries it to his mouth (which is his habit) he fires. Should the gun fail to go off, the barrel (that of the ordinary musket, which is thin) is crushed between his teeth, and the encounter soon proves fatal to ~he hunter. "In the wild state, their habits are in general like those of the Troglodytes niger, building their nests loosely in trees, living on similar fruits, and changing their place of resort from force of circumstances." Dr. Savage's observations were confirmed and supplemented by those of Mr. Ford, who communicated an interesting paper on the Gorilla to the Phjladelphian Academy of Sciences, in 1852. With respect to the geographical distribution of this greatest of all the man-like Apes, Mr. Ford remarks: "This animal inhabits the range of mountains that traverse the interior of Guinea, from the Cameroon in the north, to Angola in the south, and about 100 miles inland, and called by the geographers Crystal Mountains. The limit to which this animal extends, either north or south, I am unable to define. But that limit is doubtless some distance north of this river [Gaboon]. I was able to certify 51 mys~lf of this fact in a late excursion to the head-waters of t~e Mooney (Danger) River, which comes into the sea some Sixty miles from this place. I was informed (credibly I think,) that they were numerous among the mount:ins in which that river rises, and far north of that. "In the south, this species extends to the Congo River, as I am told by native traders who have visited the coast between the Gaboon and that river. Beyond that I am not informed. This animal is only found at a distanc~ ~rom th~ coast in most cases, and, according to my best Information, approaches it nowhere so nearly as on the south side of this river, where they have been found within ten miles of the sea. This, however, is only of late occurrence. I am informed by some of the oldest M pongwe men that formerly he was only found on the sources of the river but .that at present he may be found within half-a-day's wal~ of Its mouth. Formerly he inhabited the mountainous ridge where Bushmen ~lone inhabited, but now he boldly approaches the Mpongwe plantations. This is doubtless the reason of the . scarcity of information in years past, as the opportunities for receiving a knowledge of the animal have not been wanting; traders having for one hundred years frequente~ t~is river, and specimens, such as have been brought here Within a year, could not have been exhibited without having attracted the attention of the most stupid." . One specimen Mr. Ford examined weighed I70lb s., without the thoracic, or pelvic, viscera, and measured four feet four inches round the chest. This writer describes so minutely and graphically the onslaught of the Gorillathough he does not for a moment pretend to have witnessed ~he scene-that I am tempted to give this part of his paper In full, for comparison with other narratives: " He always rises to his feet when making an attack, though he approaches his antagonist in a stooping posture. "Though he never lies in wait, yet, when he hears sees or scents a man, he immediately utters his characteristic' cryJ' E 2 |