The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-09 00:00:00

TEE GORILLA.

At the meeting of the British Association, in Section D
(Zoology and Botany), Professor OwEx read a paper sug-
gested by the discoveries of M. Du Chaillu, and an inspec-
tion of the specimens which that traveller had been the
first to bring to this country. These extraordinary animals
were (said the learned professor) found in the Gaboon coun-
try, equatorial Africa, and were purchased from M. Du
Chaillu by the trustees of the British Museum. The col-
lection was confined to the anthropoid apes. His first
knowledge of this collection was derived from a letter
written by M. Du Chaillu from the Gaboon river in
January, 1859, offering these gorilla skins and specimens
for sale to the British Museum. The letter was referred to
him, and he recommended the transmission of the collec-
tion to London for inspection, with which recommendation
M. Du Chaillu complied. The skins of the adult male and
female and young of the gorilla afforded ample evidence,
and for the iirst time, of the true nature of the species.
Professor Owen described in detail the osteo-
logical and hirsute characteristics of these specimens, and
passed onto notice some of their peculiarities and accidental
marks. The hair of the male was rubbed from its back, the
effect, probably, of a habit of sleeping at the foot of a tree,
and resting its back against the trunk. The skin exhibited
two opposite wounds, and two of the ribs were broken where
the charge of the gun had passed through. These marks
corresponded with the account of their mode of slaughter.
Professor Owen noticed another specimen, called the bald-
headed variety, which M. Du Chaillu described as being in
the habit of building itself a shelter with the branches of
trees, about 20 to 30 feet high. They tied these branches
together with wild vines, forming a shelter in the shape of
an ambrella, with a horizontal branch, on which the animal
rested. The male slept under one shelter and the female
under another, beneath a neighbouring tree. Was this con-
structive faculty exercised by more than one variety of the
chimpanzee ? A specimen of this umbrella-like house
would be highly desirable. The next kind noticed was that
called kooloo kudoa by the natives, and it had fourteen
pairs of ribs. Zoologists were under great obligations to
M. Du Chaillu for his valuable contributions to our know-
ledge of these verities in the anthropoid apes of Africa.

The PRESIDENT (C. C. Babington) said he was sure the
section would return their best thanks to Professor Owen
for his very elaborate and valuable communication.
Discussion having been invited,
Mr. W. ELLIC"
in the country inha,
would account

country annuall;
baldness might

Professor Ow'
densely-wooded'
to at all explain
and from the sill

tarry in one local

minute observati

characteristics ci

to this. At pre:

of no explanatio:

Mr. ELLIOTT
kind of ape at
he doubted whet
Professor OWEN repiteu _ :ery .
consider these different species as varieties, and to speak of
the Troglodytes gorilla as distinguished from the Troglo-
dytes niger. He regarded them, however, as mere varieties,
just as our ordinary cattle differed in, colour, a black cow
from the white. So with regard to the chimpanzees. M.
Du Chaillu estimated his varieties somewhat higher than
he (Professor Owen) did, and indicated them by specific
names. He saw in the characteristics which these speci-
mens exemplified only marks of an easily recognisable
variety. The value of these distinctions must depend upon
the discoveries of future travellers. M. Du Chaillu men-
tioned the localities, and if future travellers found the same
varieties and marks, that would make them more valuable
zoological facts. (Applause.)
Mr. J. M. MITCHELL, P.R.A., S.A., Edinburgh—May
I ask what was paid to M. Du Chaillu by the British

Museum ?
Professor OWEN—I am afraid that is a zoological statistic
that hardly belongs to our section. (Hear.) It rather be-
longs to the statistical section. (Laughter.)
Mr. MITCHELL—I do not think there should be any
secret. lam sure we should all be glal to hear that he was
fully rewarded. (Hear.)
Professor OWEN—In all his transactions M. Du Chaillu
acted in a most liberal and gentlemanly manner, and he ex-
hibited far more desire to see his rare specimens secured in
our national collection than to obtain mere personal profit.
Mr. P. SCLATER, M.A., said that one point of great in-
terest in M. Du Chaillu's narrative was that the gorillas
were always shot through the breast and body, and Pro-
fessor Owen had stated that the larger male gorilla bore such
marks. He had himself observed what he thought a bullet
hole in the back of the skull. Had Professor Owen noticed
this ?
Professor Owen replied that he had found no other mark
of a shot than that which he had mentioned in the broken
ribs.

Mr. SCLATER asked further if there were no bullet marks
in any of the skulls ?
Professor 0 WEN answered that the specimens were sent to
be macerated as soon as received, and he had not examined
the entire series.
Dr. E. PERCEVAL WRIGHT, M.D., M.R.1.A., one of the
secretaries, read a short paper from Dr, Gray, of the British
Museum, further treating of the African ape, particularly
as to the height of the species.
Professor OWEN concurred with the paper, adding that
he had no evidence of any gorilla exceeding sft. 4in. in its
ordinary position. Of course they must add somewhat to
the height of the bones, particularly in the males, in allow-
ance for those enormous masses of muscle that covered
the sides of the cranium and worked the jaws. The breadth
of the chest was immense, being double that of the strongest
man. The collar bones were of enormous size, as well as
those supporting the arm bones and powerful hands. These
exaggerations appeared the greater in contrast with the
diminutive height of the animal, which depended upon the
comparative shortness of the lower limbs ; it was as if the
body and upper limbs of a giant of eight or nine feet were
placed upon the lower limbs of a stout dwarf.
The Rev. Dr. MuNR.O remarked, that after applauding
the actors, a grateful audience sometimes called upon the
author. He hoped he was not out of order in saying that
as M. Du Chaillu was now in the house, he hoped he might
be called upon to receive their cordial thanks along with
Professor Owen. (Hear.) He was sure the appearance of
M. Du Cha Hu upon the platform would be deeply interest-
ing to the audience. (Applause.)
M. Du CIT.VLI.O came forward, an 3 mounted the platform
amidst the hearty plaudits of the crowded assembly. He
said, in fair English :—Ladies and Gentlemen,—Allow me
to thank you for the kind feelings you have shown towards
me. I can only say that since my arrival in England I
have received so much kindness that I love the country as
much as any Englishman can do. (Applause.)
The Rev. Mr. HIGGINS asked if there was anything in
the habit of the gorilla that would account for that enor-
mous development of muscle and bony structure on the
head and chest? Did its mode of living give occasion for
such enormous strength ?
Professor OWEN replied that the only European, or white
man, who had had the opportunity of observing their habits
was the gentleman who had just left the platform. (Hear.)
Before leaining from him (M. Du Chaillu), and reading his
account, the only knowledge he (Professor Owen) had of
that singfox, stupendous, and most repulsive animal, was
derived from very vague, second Aland reports, brought by
navigators who traded for palm oil to the Gaboon, and
came to Bristol and other ports, and these were reports
they had received from missionaries at the Gaboon, or from
the natives, or through the missionaries from the natives.
Therefore, the knowledge possessed of the habits of the

SEPTEMBER 9, 1861.

gorilla were very vague and uncertain until they received
the definite information of observed habits which M. Du
Chaillu had brought us. Ho would therefore rather request
M. Du Chaillu to answer the question himself, because if
if ho (Professor Owen) were to do so, he would only be re-
peating what he had heard from M. Du Chaillu. (Applause.)
M. Du CHAILLU again mounted the platform, and asked
that the question should be repeated, for he had not dis-
tinctly heard it. (The question related to the supposed
use of the enormous strength of the gorilla, and M. Du
Chailu was further asked if he had seen the gorilla employ
its immense strength.) M. Du Chaillu said he had seen the
gorilla break trees. The animal was very fond of the sap
of certain trees. The only thing he had seen was that those
trees were broken almost before him, and they measured
about 4in. in diameter. He did not say it was the hardest
wood, but it was tolerably hard wood, and he could see on
the tree the gnawings of the gorilla's tusks. The arm of
the animal was exceedingly powerful, but he could not say
exactly for what object it was so created. He had seen a
man knocked down by it who died. The gorilla did not go
much upon trees ; the large ones he never saw upon trees.
He imagined that the arm of the animal was its chief
means of defence, for when the monster advanced to the
attack he used this powerfully strong arm, which was so
long that if he took hold of them that would be their end.
(Laughter.) He did not know of any animals that fought
with the gorilla—he never saw such combat. He had
heard accounts of them, but he fancied that they pro-
ceeded more from the imagination of the natives than
from the truth. He wished he had seen a fight be-
tween a leopard or elephant and a gorilla ; but he doubted
if such contests took place. He thought each of these
animals would be shy of one another, being so powerful.
Professor Owen had seen in the British Museum one of these
animals with a broken arm, which the professor had told
him he thought was from the blow of a gorilla. He was now
of the same opinion, because the ribs of the man who was
killed were broken, and the gorilla was strong enough to
break any man's arm. M. Du Chaillu said the beating of
the animal's chest with its long arms sounded like the beat-
ing of a drum, and it must require tremendous power to
bring such sounds out of bones and muscles. He thought
this was the most formidable part of the monster, and de-
scribed it as a terrible sight to see him beat his chest. It
was true the beast was ugly enough in himself, but this
beating on the chest frightened him the most. (Laughter.)
M. Du Chaillu next described the awkward attempts of the
gorilla to walk. They had to sit down and rest after going
a little distance, because they walked with the greatest dif-
ficulty. The body was too large to be supported on its short
and crooked legs. He hoped other travellers would follow
him, so that more might be known about the habits of this
wonderful beast. The little he had made known would, he
hoped, incite others to further discovery.
Mr. ELIOTT—What is the nature of the country inha-
bited by your troglodytes ? Is it subject to inundation ?
M. Du CHAILLU —Yes. All that part of Africa is subject
to inundation. It rains nine months of the year there.
Mr. ELLIOTT—That probably induces it to form a habi-
tation in the trees.

Dr. LANKESTER had no doubt that this large audience
had been attracted, not only on account of the reputation
of the distinguished author of the paper which they had
just heard, and also the reputation of the great traveller
who had just spoken, but he believed there was an in-
terest in these creatures independently of the important
circumstances that surround them. He thought there
were many present who had a lively recollection of the
discussions which took place last year at Oxford, when that
great theory of the production of species was brought
forward so often ; and they would also recollect that there
were expressions at that meeting which would seem to indi
cate that some naturalists, at least, were not unprepared to
believe that through a development, or through changes
which went on in the animal world, the gorilla might have
been in past ages the originator of man—he would not say
the direct parent. This question assumed great im7ortance
in the present day. There were many persons who did not
hesitate to announce this as their belief, and the audience
would be deeply obliged to Professor Owen if he would point
out what he thought was the difference between these great
monkeys, which were supposed to be most closely related to
man, and man himself. (Hear.)
Professor OWEN said he rose with great pleasure to en-
deavour to respond to the request of his fellow-labourer,
Dr. Lankester, knowing, however, that what he had to say
would be nothing new to his zoological friends. If he were
to express what he felt after the discussions which had
taken place on the resemblances and the differences organi-
cally between the anthropoid, apes and man, it would be
somewhat as follows : —First, of course, it must be borne in
mind that our organical philosophy had long since shown
that man was no exceptional speciality iu animal structure,
but as it were the sum and crown of the series of develop-
ments that were to be traced from ourselves down to the
lowest of the vertebrated series. For example, taking the
skull of a cod fish, ene could point out on that head about 95
per cent. of the bones. in our own head, and they were
called by the same names, being in the same relative posi-
tions, and having the same general relation to the nerves and
parts of the brain and vessels. Well, when that could be
done in a generally progressive and increasing degree from
the fish up to man, they saw at once what a close general
conformity of fundamental type our body was built out of.
As we approached nearer to man that resemblance became
more and more close, and consequently the difference be-
came more and more interesting and important. What
then were the differences between the gorilla, and the
boschman, the negro, or the lowest in form of our
species ? First, there was a difference in the position of the
innermost digit of the lower limb. In the gorilla it was
turned at a greater or less angle from the other digits, and
was, in fact, an opposable digit; it was a thumb; it was
not a great toe, as in man, nor parallel with the other toes ;
it was relatively stronger than the other digits, and was
associated with a broader foot, having the heel bone flatter
below; it was also associated with a different relative posi-
tion of the joints upon which the leg rested, with other mo-
difications to give a broader basis of support to the whole
frame Then there were corresponding modifications of essen-
tially the same bones throughout the vertebral column and
the ribs. In man a greater number of the lumbar vertebra]
were left free, and the ribs were limited to 12 pairs; there
were 13 in the gorilla. Next the upper limbs were made in
an harmonious kind of proportion to the lower limbs, not
longer, but somewhat shorter. Every joint showed as it
were a perfection of structure. The thumb of the han I was
made relatively stronger, and could be applied more dis-
tinctly as a prehensile organ to each digit, so that it became
a perfect instrument and organ of free will and rational in-
telligence. These differences were associated with still
greater modifications of the skull. There were the same
bones and the same relative position, but there was an al-
most hydrpcephalons expansion of the head in man as cone-
pared with the gorilla. The brain cavity in man was a fine
globular part, with which we associated the idea of highest
beauty, and the Greeks exaggerated it to show that beauty,
yet there was a connection between the vast head of man
and the mere spines stickiu gup in the head of a fish. In the
brain it.,elf there was a marked and certainly a sudden in-
crease of size in all directions, which was due chiefly, if not
wholly, to one particular part of the brain called the cere-
bral hemispheres. Professor Owen pointed out other and
more abstruse differences between the structure of man and
the ape, which, though apparently unimportant in them-
selves, were of the highest significance when viewed col-
lectively and in contrast. The gorilla maintained an
erect position with difficulty, and hobbled in an
awkward manner rather than walked, being obliged to sit
down and rest every 20 yards before he could come up to
the attack. (Laughter.) What were the other great dif-
ferences between man and the ape ? There was first the
marked difference of speech. This was the one great dis-
tinction between every variety of our race and all the lower
animals, with whom there was no nearer approach to it
than the utterance of a kind of distinctive cry, a roar and
bellow of rage, or a shriek of alarm ; this was all that the
highest apes could do in the way of speech. He confessed
his entire ignorance of the mode in which it has pleased our
Creator to establish our species, as it was said, "out of the
dust of the earth." By what marvellous process all that
might be accomplished was not told to us, nor need it be.
Without, therefore, having any kind of idea in his own
mind, or any sense of a proof, or a demonstration, or an
approximation, how man originated, he was quite open to
any evidence that might be vouchsafed to us; and if in
future investigations we should get a little more satisfactory
insight into the origin of our own species, they would most
gladly accept it. All that knowledge would still leave us
just where we are for any of those considerations in which
we were supremely interested, namely, that with those
higher powers associated with this glorious frame of ours
was coupled what had been revealed to us—a responsibility
for the use of it. (Applause.)
This closed the interesting di
scussion.

AN IRISHMAN IN AND OUT OF TROUBLE.--A Son
of the " Emerald Isle," but not himself green, was taken up
(for he was at the time down) near a rebel encampment, not
far from Manassas Junction. In a word, Pat was taking a
quiet nap in the shade, and was aroused from his slumbers
by a scouting party. He wore no special uniform of either
army, but looked more like a spy than an alligator, and on
this was arrested. " Who aro you, what is your name, and
where are you from ?" were the first questions put to him
by the armed party. Pat rubbed his eyes, scratched his
head, and answered—" By my faith, gintlemen, them is
ugly questions to answer anyhow ; and before I answer any
of them, I'd be after axin you, by yer lave, the same thing."
" Well," said the leader, " we are of Scott's army, and be-
long to Washington." " All right," said Pat, " I know'd
ye was gintlemen, for I am that same. Long life to General
Scott." " Aba," replied the scout ; "now, you rascal you
are our prisoner," and seized him by the shoulder. "How
is that ?" inquired Pat, " are we not friends ?" " No," was
the answer, "we belong to Beauregard's army." "Then
you told me a lie, me boys, and thinking it might be so, I
told you another. Now tell me truth, and I will tell the
truth, too." "We belong to the State of South Carolina."
"So do I," promptly replied Pat, "and to all the other
States of the country, too; and there I'm thinking I bate
the whole of ye. Do you think I would come all the way
from Ireland to belong t 3 one State, when I had a right to
belong to the whole of 'em ?" This logic was rather a
stomper; but they took him as beforesaid, and carried him
in for further examivatiou,—.llreiv York Commune.

:OTT asked if there • anything peculiar
nhabited by the ' • • orilla which
for its baldn: ' gip;was the
,ly subject • ze the
result ir... '•'• •
WEN re • -•- ‘ ose
crtropi • ."••.! . out
n the ori...rZC!l4-,4 • ens ;
sort ''.ns could
;ality, he •••;:: : those
tions on the • local
3ould be ob a a clue
?sent they a r i Nos admitting
)n.
further obse • . &peculiar
long the Coro . •.' of India, but
3ther it could justly called a new species.
NEN replied that it was very convenient to