FELIS PARDUS. \)7 



Next come the Leo]:)ards. Gen. Leopardus, Gray. These are more 

 or less spotted. Of moderate or large size, tail long. 



105. Felis pardus. 



LiNN.EUS. — Blyth, Cat. 173, Synops. i. — F. kopardas, Schrebeh.— 

 Lcop'trdas varlus, Gray. — The Panther and Leopard of the English in 

 India. 



The Pard. 



Descr. — Of a rufous -fawn colour, more or less deep, with dark spots 

 grouped in rosettes ; tail more or less ringed. Varies greatly in size, 

 from six to eight feet, and upwards. 



It is still an undecided point among Zoologists, whether there are two 

 distinct species of leopard, or whether they are simply varieties of the 

 same species. Temminck in his monograph of the genvis Felis, placed 

 them distinct, with the following characters : — F. leopardus, the Leopard. 

 Tail as long as the body only ; fur light-fulvous, the spots moderately 

 distinct from each other, as much as 18 lines in diameter ; caudal verte- 

 brje 22. From Asia only. F. pardus, the Panther. Smaller ; tail as long 

 as the head and body ; fur deep yellow-fulvous, the spots closely approxi- 

 mate, not more than 1 4 lines in diameter ; caudal vertebra) 28. From 

 both Asia and Africa. Cuvier considered that F. pardus was found in 

 Africa and part of Asia ; whilst F. leopardus was confined to the regions 

 adjacent to the Straits of Sunda ; and Miiller, reversing the names, 

 says that F, jKirdus is only found in Sumatra and Java; thus confirming 

 Cuvier's idea of one species being peculiar to these regions. Of late years 

 the two varieties have been classed under one specific name, and Mr. 

 Blytli has joined them in his Catalogue and Synojisis, which arrangement 

 I have also here followed. 



The prevalent idea, however, among sportsmen in India, is that there 

 are two distinct races or varieties ; and taking JMr. Elliot's remarks as 

 the groundwork, I shall briefly notice each. 



1st. The lai'ger variety, which (with most sportsmen) I shall here call 

 the Panther. F. pardus apud Hodgson. — F. leopardus apud Temminck. — 

 Leopard of Sykes. — Tendvxo, H., throughout India. — Tenduwd of Bauris, 

 ol' cheeta-catchers. — Chita, and (7/w^a-&a(ir, popularly. — Adndra, Hindi, in 



H 



