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FELIS PARDUS
ricted to these skulls, but common to those of Leopards from other localities. In the Paris Mi
toe peculiasly rest
Itis
joa shall that belonged to a Leopard from Morocco, which is nearly identical with the Chinese specimen
we Ntehed in ite upper border, is apparently as deeply notched on the posterior border of the palate within the tuberelar
teeth and the opening of the posterior nares, though not so wide, isnot any longer. ‘The differences obe
it with perfect propriety be attributed to age or sex ; and they
le between
these two skulls from such distant localities are suc
esemble each other to a much greater degree than would almost any other to cranin of Leopards which were procured
tt one place and selected at haphazard from a serie. It is very evident that no species of Cat can be satsfictorily
When clotly allied to some other species, until a large series of skulls has been obtained, all of
established as distin
to be found in the skull of another species; and with these there would
which may possess characters in common and n
Probably be present a syle of coloration in the fur not met with in anyother animal. The specimens of Ffowanier, now
pethe Paris Museum, I consider to be the samc as the F. japonense of Gray, determined by that naturalist from an
ia a sah Museum, ohh wes rated o ln ame tr Japan. Thi boweve, is probably an rn
i aah ety ba ths fm hl event prove 1 Ive some al hi ob
considered distinct, Gray's name Tather inappropriate, would have the priority. The Leopards chinensis of
Gnu (Le) i ako, I belive, the same as the style called F. fontanier, the figure of the skull given being almost
fdentoal with that in Profesor Milne-Eadwards’s ‘Recherches’ Specimens of F. leepardus from Java are smaller
than those from India and Asia, much darker in their ground-eolour, and their spots are also more intensely
luck, "One which T sew in the Menagerie at Antwerp in 1871 was conspicuous for its small size, though apparently
ilk and also for its dark colour. Leopards from Persia also possess very long ir, like those from Northem Chine
svith a tail slightly nelied to be bushy and resembli ff Fels uncia and. the col the body generally much
‘General colour varying from pale fawn to a rich buff, graduating into pure white upon the throat front of neck, belly
and imide of legs Head and body spotted throughout with dack brosen or black; the spots on the back and sides
‘inilae fo those of a Jaguar, but without the sal spot in the centre. The spots on the breast
aud belly © on the legs, are solid (not arranged in rings), and blacker than those on other parts of the body
Base of ears behind black, tips buf, ‘Tail long, itly bushy, buff above, spotted in broken rings like the
back white below, with sold black spots. ‘The sizeof the broken rings varies greatly in differen individuals, as
that of the spots, for while some specimens exhibit these as large as a Jaguar's, others present very small, almost minute
uscly covered than isthe ease with those having larger spots
spots. In examples of this kind the skin is much more p
tnd the hair of eubs is
‘The length of the fur also varies, according as the animals eome fiom a cold or warm climate
‘usually longer than is that of the adults
Th some Leopard-kulls the nasal process of the premaxilla extends upwards to almost half the length of the nasal, and
the frontal bone reversely descend a short distance downwards alongside the nasal. This, however,
among individuals. Some crania also have high erest, extending from the midfrontal to the
Sapmocepital; others have merely an indiation ofthis, while in other aguin there is nothing of # whatever. This
Puauierity docs not seem to belong to either ae or locality, and cannot be regarded as of any specific value, ‘he profi
vectateral outline of the skulls also varies greatly, some being very much more arched than others; and in size the
ania thenelves of the adults are very dissimilar. ‘The nasal orifices are slightly heart-haped.; and the nesal bones are
nnaly broad anteriorly, but in some specimens narrow rapidly towards their articulation with the frontal bone, and
txtend beyond the articulation of the proceses of the maxilla. ‘The lower outline of the ramus of the inferior maxilla is
usually straight, although in some there is a slight curve beneath the last mola.
Yosil remains of the Leopard have been obtained in various parts of Europe. They apparently belonged to both the
large and the small race, and do not present any characters to indicate a species distinet from that now living. ‘These
Twoses prove that in Pleistocene times the Leopards ringed over a great part, if not the whale, of Western Burope and
pert of Great Britain, passing into the over what is now the English Channel, and doubtless found
the deer, bison, &e that were then numerous in Somersetshire. In England, however, the animal
time consist only of some canines, together
suficeney of food among
tppearsto have been rare; forthe remains that have been found up to the present
an ulna, femur, and two metatarsals |