316 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. X . 



behind some lantana we could not, for the moment, see the panther 

 from our position, although Mr. M., who was also with us, could do so. 

 Presently he stealthily emerged from the other side now in the crouch- 

 ing attitude. Ever and anon he looked from side to side furtively. Ho 

 approached the goat behind a tuft of grass to-within two paces. The 

 goat, so far, had shown no knowledge of its danger. The wind was all 

 against this ; but now she turned round and met the gaze of the panther 

 within six feet of her nose, and immediately the panther half sprang and 

 half ran out, jumped on her back and seized the throat — which part we 

 could not at once tell — over the right shoulder, and turning the head 

 round in a second we saw the panther's head come up with the throat in 

 its mouth. The entire stalk had occupied four minutes, i.e. y 6-26 to 

 6-30 p.m., at which moment the seizure took place. 



So far the following points had, it will be seen, been established : — 



1. In the absence of a companion, the stalk is a quiet and stealthy 

 process. 



2. The victim is consequently (and almost invariably) unaware of 

 its impending death. 



3. There is practically no spring if the cover available will permit 

 the animal to stalk right up. 



4. The victim is seized by the throat, and 



5. There is no roar nor any noise from the goat. 



To continue. — The panther sat with its prey in its mouth from 6-30 

 to precisely 6-38 p.m. The goat offered no resistance whatever, except 

 during the final slight dying throes, after which the throat was relin- 

 quished. During this entire period, in the broad daylight, the panther 

 kept on the extreme alert. He turned his head, even with the goat in 

 his mouth, from side to side and listened intently. The only per- 

 ceptible sound was when the panther appeared, on several occasions 

 shortly after the seizure, to tighten his grip. The head of the goat 

 at 6-38 p.m. was half dropped and half flung to one side, and the 

 panther sat bolt upright over the carcase looking to the west (up wind). 

 During this period he redoubled his vigilance. 



At 6-45, the panther quietly bent down and licked the blood on 

 the goat's throat at the point where it had been seized. 



It was still broad daylight. 



At 6-46 the panther walked about ten paces from the " kill " and 

 again sat down and licked the blood which had stained his own shoulder. 

 At 6-50 p.m. he relaxed to some extent the extreme vigilance so far 



