Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-08

s"Then they were making a vocal noise which
in its beginning was like bird song hui hui
hui hui hui from pianissimo to forte, increas-
ing in volume and in pitch. 1t was very sweet
in the beginning and quite different from the
cultural bark and other sounds / had heard
them make before. Only once again did
hear it. I am quite sure it was a female,
probably warning her young ones. The whole
band soon went away up the slopes OF BiShoke
in a light forest-almoSt a savannah of paper
bark trees"
During the time the gorillaS were climbing
obliuuely to the higher zone of BiShoke three
big gorillas remained behind as a rear guard.
Two of these were males. Derscheid did not
get a good view of the third. All three stood
their ground for five or ten minutes, until the
others were 200 yards away and quite out of
sight and sound. Then they followed taking
the same trail.
When my husband in 1928 advocated to the
Belgian government the deSirabiity of protect
ing the gorilla, he estimated their number az
not more than about 100 in the Mikeno-
Karisimbi forests. It must be remembered, how
ever that he was in the gorilla country in
1921 for only three weeks and that in speaking
and writing of this animal he always stressed
the fact that his records were incomplete; that
he still wished Ito learn the other 80 per cent
of the gorilla's story" Mr.. Benjamin Bur-
bridge who spent six weeks in the Birunga
Range in 1924, estimated the number OF gorliiaS
at 1000 The evidence gathered by the Akeley-
Derscheid Mission during period OF seven
months gives us every reason to believe that
although my husbands estimate is too low,
Burbridge's estimate is entirely too high.
WHEN my husband was studying the gorilla
w in 1921 he heard of only one case of a
native having been killed by gorilla. was
told similar story by various natives in 1926.
Derscheid who was able to converse freely with
the natives in the Kinyaruanda language,
learned the true story, which follows:
Nineteen years ago native of the Boringo
tribe was cutting bamboo Unaware of the
presence of gorilla sleeping near by. he awoke
the animal by the noise of his AK This gorilla
must have been bad tempered because with
no other provocation, he charged and Selling
the man tore him in pieces. The mans head
was found quite detached from the body. AT
Kisola in British territory, a, female in a
shamba was killed by natives. Obviously the
gorilla wanders from the volcanoes only occa-
sionally and then he raids a shamba to supply
his immediate need for food. We have only one
or two instances, and those in British territory,
of the volcano gorilla going down 10 the lower
altitude out of the bamboo. I'm fact says
Derscheid. 1.-The gorilla of the volcanoes does
not interfere in any way with the natives; nor
until the present time have the natives inter-
fered with the gorillaS"
There are no natiVeS-not even pygmles-
living in the true gorilla forests. However. the
natives often climb up to the gorilla forest to
get honey, to trap birds and hyrax. and to
cut fireWood. In the lower part of the bamboo
zone, where gorillaS not plentiful they dig
pits to trap wart hog or buffalo. There is no
record that gorilla has ever been trapped by
natives. In the higher attitudes they cannot
dig trap pits because of the lava. but as high
as Rweru the upper edge of the bamboos,
they fell hollow trees for honey. On these
occasions it may easily happen that they find
themselves in the midst of gorilla band or
unwillingly disturb sleeping gorilla.
The Kivu pygmies who hunt in tn. gorilla