After a heavy blow or two dealt with the open palm, the aim of either champion would, probably, be to pull the other towards him, so as to inflict a wound with the powerful canine teeth. As a result there would soon be a deadlock, in which the two great creatures, pressed together and grappling in a close embrace, would gnash and tear furiously at one another. As long as the limbs were not free, the fighting would be entirely with the teeth, and as these would probably be used to parry as well as to inflict wounds, they would constantly clash together, and might thus sometimes be broken off. How, or for how long, such a combat would be likely to proceed, what might be its result, whether the provoker of it—the bashful young gorillaress—would be unconcerned during its continuance or stand regarding it with an anxious eye from her retreat amidst the undergrowth of the forest, whether, too, by manifesting a choice she would become an active agent in the life’s happiness, or otherwise, of the two grim pretendants to her favours, or go off passively with either one or the other, as mere spoils of the victor, it is not in our power to say, nor will we here further consider. Had there been as much desire to see and study the habits of the great man-ape, as there has been to procure specimens of him, which add but little to our knowledge, and that in the least interesting way, we might be well informed on all these points and many others, but, as it is, we must wait till real naturalists—people, that is to say, who love watching animals and hate killing them—go out to these regions—they are wanted everywhere. Doubtless, bad wounds are sometimes inflicted by male gorillas upon one another, in these tremendous encounters, but probably they are never fatal, since the huge framework would be as potent to resist injury as the giant strength would be to inflict it, and a gorilla that had not yet arrived at maturity would never think of trying conclusions with a full-grown one.