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FELIS PARDUS
first Plate can, I believe, always be recognized hy its long, broad head, dewlap, and large heavy body. It is lighter in
nary Leopard, is usually eecived from Moroceo or India, inhabits the open country, and is met with
Jerion gives the colour of this animal (which he states is believed to be a distinct race by Indian
ortsmen) as pale fulvous yellow, the belly white; but some are more tawny in hue, and others have no white bencath
He further says that at Mhow he has had ponies Killed close to his tent by Panthers; and in the Bhagulpore district he
as known many instances of human beings having been killed by them, old women being the chief victims, some of whom
were even taken out of their huts. Tt is the form usually found in Bengal, and apparently extends its range through
Western Asin as far as the Caueasus, and is common in the mountainous districts of Afghanistan. Sir Walter Eli
hat the “fur of the Honiga (by which name this animal is known) is shorter and closer than that of the s
The most strongly marked difference of character that I observed was in the skulls, that of the Honiga being
‘more pointed, with a ridge running along the oceiput and much developed forthe attachment of the mu
If this character is permanent, it will afford « of distneton
In reference to this I find that the diferences in the skull mentioned above do not exist in all the erania observed, at
least in an equal degrees for some have the erest much less developed than others, eaused perhaps by age or sex; and
therefore, although two races are recognizable in adult animals of these L 1 I have already pointed out, yot I
not consider that there are two species, since there really does not seem to exist any tangible constant character upo
whieh to found a specie diference
‘Sir Walter Elliot gives the following as the dimensions of the large animal: Length of head and body 4
tail to 9 feet. A fine male killed near Mhow in 1854 mensured 4 fect 9 inches to root of ti, which was 8 fe
long, making a total of 7 fect 11 inches. In 1878 there was a lange Leopard from Algeria living fn the menage
Jardin des Plantes, Paris, presented by Marshal MacMahon. It was remarkable for its colour, which was a chestnut
brown covered with exceedingly small black spots, Tt was apparently quite old, and possessed the lange bony head, dewlap,
and heary body characteristic of the large form. The tail was long and darker than the body, with the markings closer
tometer
his beautiful and gracofal ereature is generally distributed at the present day in Africa, India, and Asia, as well as inthe
islands of Sumatra and Java. It varies somewhat in the eolour of is fr, and also in size, while individuals from northern
climes, Ike the Tigers from the same high latitudes, possess a long hairy cout, quite different from the short smooth fur of
their southern brethren. Like all the Cat tribe, the Leopard has great patience and perseverance whilst stoking its prey,
which it seizes by suddenly springing upon it from some ambush, and tearing it to the ground by the powerful claws, It
preys upon almost any animal that it ean oyereome, such as sheep, goats, deer, monkeys, peafowl, and dogs: for the
Tastnamed it seems to have a special liking, having been known to enter a house and seize a bulldog that was chained to
its master’s bed; and Jerdon states that tod, in the Wynand, every dog in the station was cartied off, many in
broad daylight. ‘The Leopard is eruel in disposi to gratify its bloodthirsty propensity will ill many more vietims
than it ean posbly devour at once ate very bold, probably inited by hunger, and comes out into the
ads in some of the hillstations in India and seizes the dogs. ‘This ereature is very quick in its movements, and climbs
trees with facility, frequently taking refuge in the branches when closely pursued. It is aserted that it disikes water, and
will not readily swim, and therefore is not often found on small islands, It is very fearless; there are many recorded
instances of its attacking man; and its great activity, strong teeth, and claws render it at all times a very formidable
antagonist. It dwells chiefly in forests, though at times coming upon open ground. times a Leopard becomes a
naneater ;” and then he is said to be a far more terible scourge than the Tiger. Captain Forsyth states that in 1858 a
‘man-killing Leopard devastated the northem part of the Sconi district, killing nearly one hundred persons before he was
shot. He never ate the bodies, but merely lapped the blood from the throat and his plan was either to steal into a house
at night and strangle some sleeper in his bed, orto climb into the platforms from which watehers guard
eer, and drug his vietim from them.
‘This species is the possessor of mny synonyms, as names have been
colour, size, or a pattern of spots slightly changed from what may have been considered the typical style. Thus, in
1856, M. Valenciennes described a faded skin of this animal as F. paca. ‘This is now in the Paris Museum and
Tam indebted to Prof. A. Milne-Edwards for the opportunity of examining the type. I do not regurd it as a distinct |