An introduction to the study of the anthropoid apes / by Arthur Keith.

  • Arthur Keith
Date:
1897
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An introduction to the study of the anthropoid apes / by Arthur Keith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    I. The Gorilla.1 TT is possible that the recent addition of a young female gorilla to 1 the Gardens of the Zoological Society of London may lead to a renewed interest in this bulkiest of Primates in the minds of many people; and if the interest aroused be sufficient to induce some of these to become better acquainted with the history of this alleged cousin of the human race, they will find it can be read only by picking their way through the European periodical and academical scientific literature of the last fifty years. Having been working at the anatomy of the higher Primates for a number of years past, and having in that time become acquainted with the better part of the literature dealing with this animal, it occurred to me that a short article, to act not only as a guide to work already done, but also as an index to the lines of future effort, might prove useful to some at the present time. The Gorilla in Confinement.—Before getting well into the sub- ject in hand, however, it would be better to dispose of what we know of the gorilla as a visitor to Europe. The example now in the Zoological Gardens is the third of its kind that has lived in England ; its predecessor died after a short stay in the Gardens (Proc. Zool. Soc., 1887, p. 559). The first gorilla came about i860, and spent seven months in a menagerie in the north of England ; its skin and bones are said now to rest in Ushaw College, Durham. It had the mis- fortune to be shown as a chimpanzee. In Proc. Zool. Soc., 1877, p. 303, a fine drawing of it by Wolff is given. There have been at least five living gorillas in Germany. Four belonged to the Berlin Aquarium ; Falkenstein’s, which cost ^1,000, lived there for fourteen months, and had been in confinement for over three years ; Hermes’ example lived two months, but was said to have been in the possession of a native chief for over six years ; the other two lived for very short periods (25, 43, and 47). One lived for a short time in Paris (60). It will be seen that confinement in Europe is quickly fatal to the gorilla ; this probably depends less upon the climate than upon its temperament, which is fierce, intolerant of bonds, and lacking the docility of the easily-confined chimpanzee. 1 The literature, referred to by numerals in round brackets, will be found on pages 8-13 (Nos. 1-876), 24-29 (Nos. 88-216), 37-40 (Nos. 217-289), 46-48 (Nos. 290-330).