s are sometimes seen almost white; the hair becomes grizzled with
age, and I have no doubt that the statement of their becoming
occasionally white with extreme old age is quite correct.

The gorilla is of migratory habits at some seasons of the year. He is
then not found in the districts usually resorted to by him when the
berries, fruits, and nuts are in season.

Besides my other collections I embarked a live gorilla, our little
friend Tom, and had full hopes that he would arrive safely and gratify
the world of London with a sight of this rare and wonderful ape in the
living state; unfortunately, he died on the passage. He did very well
for a few weeks, I am told, as long as the supply of bananas lasted
which I placed on board for his sustenance. The repugnance of the
gorilla to cooked food, or any sort of food except the fruits and juicy
plants he obtains in his own wilds, will always be a difficulty in the
way of bringing him to Europe alive. I had sent him consigned to Messrs.
Baring, who, I am sure, never had any such consignment before. I
promised the Captain that he should receive one hundred pounds if he
succeeded in taking the animal alive to London.

During the few days Tom was in my possession he remained, like all the
others of his species that I had seen, utterly untractable. The food
that was offered to him he would come and snatch from the hand, and then
bolt with it to the length of his tether. If I looked at him he would
make a feint of darting at me, and in giving him water I had to push the
bowl towards him with a stick, for fear of his biting me. When he was
angry I saw him often beat the ground and his legs with his fists, thus
showing a similar habit to that of the adult gorillas, which I described
as beating their breasts with their fists when confronting an enemy.
Before lying down to rest he used to pack his straw very carefully as a
bed to lie on. Tom used to wake me in the night by screaming suddenly,
and in the morning I more than once detected him in the attempt to
strangle himself with his chain, no doubt through rage at being kept
prisoner. He used to twist the chain round and round the post, to which
it was attached until it became quite short and then pressed with his
feet the lower part of the post until he had nearly done the business.

As I have before related, I took photographs of Tom, and succeeded very
well. These photographs I was unwilling to send home, and kept them
until I