Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-03-04
Habits Of the Gorilla.


inc man six feet twoinches in height
and measuring four feet and half
across the shoulders. Give him
girth about the chest Of seventy
inches, and arms long enough TO
reach nearly 70 his ankles when he
stands erect. Make him muscular in
proportion, with huge canine tusks
and jaw strong enough 10 crush
rifle barrel. Suppose him 10 have no
neck, an immense body, very short
! bow-legs. long black hair all over his
body, flat nose and feet like hands.
/ There YOU have fair description OF
a gorilla Of the largest size. Ordinarily
these animals do not exceed five feet
! i'm height, with a breadth of four feet
across the shoulders Much as they
resemble men when grown, they are
much more human in appearance
during the early stage OF their being
having likeness to babies in many
wavs that is most striking.
Gorillas live in family groups, each
/ consisting of a male, one female ana
her young. They do not frequent
the same sleeping-place often usually
spepding the night where they hap
pen to be. Choosing a full-grown
tree TO build lodging in, they bend
the branches together at height OF
! twenty feet or more, thus making
! sort Of bed. which they cover with
| twigs torn off for the purpose oil wide
| leaf-moss. The male spends the night
crouching at the foot Of the tree,
against which he places his back III
this way remaining on guard TO pro
| tect the female and young in the nest
above from attacks by leopards.
These powerful carnivora are al
ways ready TO devour any species OF
ape they can capture.
In the daytime the gorilla family
roams about the forest seeking TODD.
In walking the animals tCtter along
in swinging gait, supporting them
selves partly by resting the knuckles
OF their hands upon the ground.
Mucb of their locomotion, however
is accomplished by climbing from tree
TO tree. They are very skillful climb
ers. and if one branch does not seem
sufficiently strong To bear ther
weight. they will use three or four al
once. As soon a young maze
reaches maturity conflict Tor the
mastery ensues between itself and It's
father. which results in II final settle
ment Of the ownership OF the family,
the weaker one being killed or driven
away.
The male gorilla arrogates To him
self the same right not to labor which
is assumed by human savages. His
business is lighting, exclusively, and
he does not usually condescend even
to gather food his wife and children
collecting fruits and other delicacies
for him TO devour. II they are not
sufficiently nimble in this employment
he shows his resentment by growing
and boxing their ears.
When he fights lie stands erect up
on his hind legs, the hair on his head,
and the nape Of his neck bristling'
his frightGul teeth displayed, and his
forehead wrinkliDg with fearful
scowl. At the same time he beats his
mighty chest resounding blows With
his fists and utters most terrific yelis
OF "Kh-ah, kh-ahr' which makes the
forest re-echo. He parties blows with
the dexterity OF practiced boxer,
and his mett cd OF attack is usually
to seize his human adversary by the
arm. crunching the limb in his teeth;
or he throws the man down and rends
him with his huge CANNES. The best
thing that the hunter can do at close
quarters Is TO permit the beast TO
seize the burrel OF the gun, which IL
will at once carry TO itsmonth. Thus
direr ted, bullet is likely to be set
tier. Otherwise. the gorilla will
quickly crush the gun barrel between
his teeth and proceed thereupon 10
wipe out his opponent To run
away is an iinpossibility in the thick
woods
The coarse black hair which covers
the gorilla becomes gray in age, and
this fact formerly caused a mistaken
belief to the effect that there were
two species. Ii il said that the ami
NAL will assail the elephant and drive
it away by striking the latter's trunk
with a club, knowing that to be- the
sensitive point OF the proboscidian.
Probably the gorilla would be fair
match in strength for a lion, snppos.
ing that il came to q match between
them; but there are no lions in Goril-
Ia Land. The gorilla has thirteen
I ribs on each side, whereas "A man has
only twelve; il has also one more YER
zebra in it's back bone than man has
Philosophers have been disposed 10
attribute the progress Of mankind be
yond the anthropoids TO his posses
sion of a servicesble thumb, upon
which all his ability for manipulation
mainly depends. Many Of the great
apes have most human-like hands,
save for the thumb. which is not
nearly so well developed. and lacks
certain important muscles. For eI'
ample. gorilla cannot possibly pr
form the operation known as 'twid-
ding" His muscular strength, how.
ever, equals that Of at least half a
dozen Of the most powerful men.
The capacity Of his chest cavity Is
more than oDe-third greater than
j 81 fhnfaa