1 08 ■ Afiecdotes of a tamed Panther. 



fin. Some fishes, also, have no tail fin. But what shall we say 

 to a fish of above three feet in length, which has no fin but 

 that ; which has, as one may say, a broad chest and a heavy 

 head, without any one contrivance to keep it from being, at 

 all times, lower than any other part of its body ? It might, 

 indeed, be inferred, that so extraordinary a creature would 

 live in an extraordinary manner ; and certainly no manner 

 could be more extraordinary, than that of living with its head 

 downwards, and its tail in the opposite extreme ! But this 

 must be impossible under these points of view ; and, I am apt 

 to believe, that if all mermaids were tried by one or other, or 

 all, of these tests, they would be found equally imaginary. 

 Yes, Sir, I cannot help thinking, that in such cases we are not 

 less deceived than our ancestors were, though it may be less 

 agreeably ; for their mermaids sang, and combed their sunny 

 locks, and were, besides, extremely personable monsters, 

 while ours are not only altogether mute, but as ugly as can 

 be well conceived. If, then, Mr. Editor, we must be in error, 

 pray give us your potent assistance to fall back into our earlier 

 and more poetical absurdities ; but if to come at the truth is a 

 more desirable thing still, and if you find that my communica- 

 tion tends at all to that end, I shall be happy to see among 

 your other contributions this of Conchilla. 



Art. III. Anecdotes of a tamed Panther, By Mrs. Bowdich. 



;:..Sir, 



. On perusing the First Number of the Magazine of Natural 

 History, I find that you admit zoological anecdotes. I am, 

 therefore, induced to send you some account of a panther 

 which was in my possession for several months. He and 

 another were found when very young in the forest, apparently 

 deserted by their mother. They were taken to the king of 

 Ashantee, in whose palace they lived several weeks, when my 

 herp, being much larger than his companion, suffocated him 

 in a fit of romping, and was then sent to Mr. Hutchison, the 

 resident left by Mr. Bowdich at Coomassie. This gentleman, 

 observing that the animal was very docile, took pains to tame 

 him, and in a great measure succeeded. When he was about 

 a year old, Mr. Hutchison returned to Cape Coast, and had 

 him led through the country by a chain, occasionally letting 

 him loose when eating was going forward, when he would sit 

 by his master's side, and receive his share with comparative 

 gentleness. Once or twice he purloined a fowl, but easily 



