What a sight amidst these gloomy forests must be the contention in fierce rivalry of two full-grown male gorillas! We may imagine one—the more favoured suitor—sitting on the ground, his back, as is usual, against the trunk of a tree, and his arm flung carelessly about the object of his regard; the great fingers of the wonderfully human hand burying themselves in her fur. All at once the peaceful nature of the scene is rudely disturbed by the frowning presence of another male, whilst the silence is as suddenly broken by a terrific barking cry, passing into a long, loud, sullen, reverberating roar. The unwelcome comer has been, at first, upon all fours, but now he rears himself upon his short hind legs, and leaving the screen of heavy frondage that has hitherto partially concealed him, advances into the open space beneath this tropical trysting-tree. As he does so, the female discreetly retires, whilst her spouse, or lover, assuming also the erect posture, comes forward to meet his rival. The two advance upon each other with ferocious mien, they roar alternately, or in unison, and beat, at intervals, with their doubled fists upon the vast convexity of their chests, producing in this way a deep, continuous, hollow sound, like the rolling of a muffled drum. As the distance between them decreases, the eyes of each seem to flash more fiercely, whilst the crest of hair upon the forehead is drawn rapidly up and down, with a twitching motion, by the angry contraction of the facial muscles. At length, and with a final roar, when separated by but a few paces, each drops upon its knuckles,[19] and springs, almost at the same time, upon the other. Were it a man that either encountered, he would instantly be stretched dead or dying upon the ground, but here terrific strength upon the one side is met by force as great upon the other, and the combat is as long and as dubious as it is furious and violent.