THE FLESH EATERS 



163 



of that locality. Sometimes the great cat meets an enemy 

 in the crocodile, which overpowers it. Tiger hunting in 

 India is royal sport, and is generally conducted on ele- 

 phants. Often the powerful cat will leap upon the back 

 of one of these huge animals and endeavor to strike down 

 the rider. 



Almost as powerful is the leopard (Fig. 145), a beautiful, 

 spotted creature, shy, courageous, active. In India the 



Fig. 145. — The Leopard. 



leopards kill about a third as many human beings annually 

 as do the tigers. All these animals are protected in a 

 certain sense by the resemblance of their skins to their 

 surroundings. The tawny color of the lion simulates 

 the gray tones of the arid desert. The leopard is one of 



