46 FUR BEARING MAMMALS. 



different animal from that found in South China. In colour it is lighter 

 than the other known races, but it is chiefly characterized by its very 

 thick, almost woolly coat, which makes its skin so valuable. I saw 

 one skin marked up at Tls. 400.00 in Moukden. It has long been a 

 question whether tigers really exist in North China. From evidence, 

 which I have gathered on the subject, I am satisfied that they do 

 occur in West and North Shansi, and at least, did occur up till 

 quite recently in North Chihli and across the Mongolian border in 

 the Wei-chang (Hunting grounds), west of Lama Miao. 



In Manchuria and North Corea they are comparatively plentiful, 

 though they are not easily secured on account of their keeping to the 

 dense forest regions. The natives hunt them persistently, for a single 

 tiger is worth a great deal of money. Not only is the skin of value, 

 but the bones fetch a high price as medicine. The tigers are trapped 

 in big log pens or else shot, the hunter frequently being armed with no 

 better weapon than an old gas-pipe muzzle-loader. Very often serious 

 accidents are the result of this dangerous pursuit. 



Two other members of the genus Felis, whose skins make hand- 

 some rugs are the leopard {Felis pardus villosa) and the snow leopard 

 or ounce (Felis uncia). Of these the first is found ell over the hilly 

 and mountainous districts of North China, being very plentiful in 

 certain of the wilder regions. It has much longer fur than the leopards 

 found in India, a good winter coat having hairs fully three inches in 

 length. It is of a fine yellow-brown colour, strongly marked with 

 black dots, which assume the form of large rosettes on the flanks and 

 back. The fur of the throat, neck, chest, belly and on the inner 

 surface of the legs is white. The tail in winter specimens is often 

 white for the latter half of its length, and is marked with broad black 

 rings. The North China species is a large animal, usually exceeding 

 those seen in travelling menageries, which are almost invariably either 

 from India or Africa. ]\Iany specimens taken in winter are so light 

 coloured and have such thick fur that they might easily be mistaken 

 for the snow leopard. 



The ounce, however, has the black markings in the form of large 

 rings instead of dots or rosettes. They are not nearly so pronounced 

 as the markings of the leopard, while the fur of the back and sides 

 is of a very pale, fawn-yellow. The skin is also very much 

 more valuable. The two animals are about the same size. The ounce 

 is found in Thibet,, the higher parts of the extreme western border of 

 China, throughout the Altai Mountains, across Southern Siberia and 

 in North Manchuria. 



