THK LEOPARD. 



up u little stock of provisions for a future day. A larder belonging to a Leopard 

 was once discovered in the forked branches of a tree, some ten feet or so from the 

 ground. Several pieces of meat were stowed away in this novel receptacle, and 

 a large mass of leaves piled upon them. 



In its own country the Leopard is as crafty an animal as our British fox; and 

 being aided by its active limbs and stealthy tread, gains quiet admission into 

 many spots where no less cautious a creature could plant a step without giving 

 tlic alarm. It is an inveterate chickcn-stealer, creeping by night into the hen- 

 loosts, in spite of the watchful dogs that .are on their posts as sentinels, and 

 destroying in one fell swoo]) the entire stock of poultry that happen to be collected 

 uiuler the roof. Even shouhl they roost out of doors they are no less in danger, for the 

 Leopard can clamber a j)ole or a tree with manellous rapidity and with his ready 

 l);iw strike down the poor bird before it is fairly awakened. 



The habits of the Indian Leopard are almost identical with those of its African 

 relative. Equally cautious when caution is necessary, and c(pially bold when 

 audacity is needed ; tlie animal achieves exploits of a similar nature to those 

 which have been narrated of the African Leopard. The following anecdote is a 

 sample of the mixed cunning and ins(jlence of this creature. 



An ox had been killed, and the joints had been hung uj) in a hut, which was 

 close to a spot where a sentiy was posted. In the evening the sentry gave an 

 alarm that some large animal had entered the hut. A light was procured and a 

 miml)er of people searched the rooms of which the hut was composed, without 

 discovering the cause of the alarm. They were just about to retire, when one 

 of the ]r,\v\y caught sight of a Leoj)ard, which was clinging to the thatched roof 

 imiiiediateiv above the hooks on wliicli the meat was suspended. No sooner did 

 till" animal discover that its presence was known, than it dropped to the floor, 

 laid al)out it vigorously with its claws, and leaping through the doonvay, made 

 its eseaj)e, leaving several souvenii-s of its visit in various scratches, one of Avhich 

 was inflicted on the scntiy who gave the alarm, and ke}>t him to his bed for 

 several weeks. 



The stnngth of the Leopard is manellous when compared with its size. One of 

 these animals crept by night into the veiy midst of a caravan, seized two wolf- 

 grevhoimds that where fastened to one of the tent ])egs, tore up the tent peg to 

 which thev were tethered, and although both the dogs were linked together, and 

 were of that ])owerful breed which is used for the pui-suit of wolves and other 

 tierce game, the Leopard dragged them out of the camp and carried them for 

 some three hundred yards tlu'ough the dense thorny underwood. A pui*suit 

 was immediately set on foot, and the dogs rescued from the daring foe. 



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