ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17469, 1 June 1922, Page 3

ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE.

Of late years science has been more and more "eager to know in. intimate detail the habits' and family life of the gorillas. These huge and marvellously powerful and highly intelligent relatives of mankind bear a close relationship to civilised man, and offer many and perplexing problems which anthropologists are extremely desirous of studying. But of all creatures on the fare of the earth science knows least about the gorilla. These great anthropoid anes live in the midst of tho African wilderness, in a comparatively small aix»a of almost impenetrable jungle. Science has been able to gather little trustworthy information from the natives who live in the vicinity of the ayes. The savages are In terror of the* huge creaturos, and prefer to see and know as little as possible about tnem. When scientists push their way through to the edge of the gorida country, tJiey find themselves unable to get much more than distant views, and an occasional shot at a passing gorilla. Other animals can be captured, and hold in captivity for observation and experiment. But nobody has ever succeeded in capturing a lullgrown live gorilla, and even tile uaby gorillas which have been brought safely out of the jungle alive have never lived long in captivity. And now tho American Museum of Natural History has undertaken to supply science with tho 'information it lacks, says an American paper. Several months ago an expedition of half a dozen or more, under the leadership of Carl E. Akeloy, a scientist .and biggame hunter, was organised and sent to the African jungle. The expedition was especially and peculiarly equipped to thoroughly roVer everything or interest and scientific importance in regard to man's gigantic African relatives. How little we -know about gorillas is proved by the intense interest excited l)y the young gorilla, John Daniel, last spring. He was four and a half years eld, and was the first gorilla to live to that age in captivity. He displayed the most remarkable intelligence and human ways when exhibited in the Ringling Brothers' circus. Ho sat down at table, ;ind ate like a well-be-haved boy, cleaned up his plates, and made his own bed, but"just when scientists were beginning to learn how tacts about living gorillas John Daniel died. The most _ interesting observation from John Daniel's remains was an explanation why the gorilla cannot talk like a man- Beneath ike tongue of Daniel the muscles were divided into some five unconnected groups. In man the muscles arc spread out; into the shape of a fan, with infinite numbers of small fibres, l-y which the tongue can move with great rapidity, and utter every word that makes up language—as many as 170 words per minute. Tho ape can only scream, squeak, and howl. Of his method of communication with his mates w? have little knowledge, but there is reason to believe that he can express more by his noises than other animals.