98 FELID^. 



Central India. — Iloniga, Can. — Asned, Malir. of Ghats. — Chiiuia puli, 

 Tel. — Biirhdl of Gonds. — Bay-heera and Tahir hay in tlie Himalayas. — - 

 Sik, Tibetan, 



The colour of this large variety is genei'ally pale fulvous-yellow, the 

 belly white; whilst some are deeper and more tawny in hue, and others 

 without any white at all beneath. " As a general rule," says Walter 

 Elliot, " the fur of the Honiga is shorter and closer than that of the 

 small variety. The most strongly marked difference of character that 

 I observed was in the skulls. That of the Honiga being longer and more 

 pointed, with a ridge running along the occiput, and much developed for 

 the attachment of the muscles of the neck. If this character is imiversal 

 and permanent, it will afford a good ground of distinction." 



"Mountaineer," in the Bengal Sporting Eeview, vol. VIII., says, " This 

 is a fine and handsome animal. It may be distinguished by its superior 

 size, and the different formation of the head, which is much longer than 

 that of the other ; " thus hitting on the same distinctive mark as Mr. 

 Elliot. Horsfield, 1. c, says "that this is a taller, larger, slighter animal 

 than the next one, with fewer and more broken spots." Mr. Elliot gives 

 the dimensions as, head and body 4^ to 5 feet ; tail 2| to 3 feet, A fine 

 male, killed near Mhow in 1854, measured 4 feet 9 inches to root of tail, 

 which was 3 feet 2 inches ; total 7 feet 11 inches. 



My own experience has led me to conclude that this large variety is 

 seldom found in dense forest country, but in more open countr}^, where 

 low hills and deep ravines occui-, Mr. Elliot says, " It is found chiefly 

 among the rocky hills to the eastwards. It is a taller, slighter, more 

 active animal, extremely strong and fierce. It is a veiy formidable 

 assailant, and several instances occurred of as many as four men having 

 been killed by one before it was put ' hors de combat.' " " Mountaineer " 

 says " It generally keeps aloof from villages, wandering through the forests 

 and glens of tlie remoter hills. It preys on all wild animals, wild pigs, 

 monkeys, &c., occasionally seizes on domestic cattle," Baker says " tliat 

 in Ceylon (where it is called tiger) he has seen a full-grown bull with his 

 neck broken by a leopard which attacked it, and that at Newera-ellia they 

 destroy many cattle." Johnson, in his Field Sports of India, gives an 

 account of " a panther or leopard having leapt over a wall 7 feet high, 

 two or three nights in succession, which killed and carried off a deer 

 each night : " he adds, " I ratlier think it was a panther, an animal larger 

 than the leopard." I have myself had ponies killed twice close to my 



