THE LEOPARD. 171 
of the innate individuality of these animals. One of them, a male, was always sulky and 
unamiable, and never would respond to offered kindnesses. The female, on the contrary, 
was most docile and affectionate, eagerly seeking for the kind words and caresses of her 
keeper. She was extremely play ful, as is the wont of most Leopards, and was in the 
habit of indulging in an amusement which is generally supposed to be the speciality of 
the monkey tribe. Nothing pleased her so well as to lay her claws on some article of 
dress belonging to her visitors, to drag it through the bars of her cage and to tear it in 
pieces. Scarcely a day passed that this amusingly mischievous animal did not entire ely 
destroy a hat, bonnet, or pari asol, or perhaps protrude a rapid paw and claw off a large 
piece of a lady’s dress, 
The cubs of the Leopard are pretty, graceful little creatures, with short pointed tails, 
and spots of a fainter tint than those of the adult animal. Their number is from one to 
five. Even in captivity, the Leopard is a most playful animal, especially if in the society 
of companions of its own race. The beautiful spotted creatures sport with each other 
just like so many kittens, making, with their wild, graceful springs, sudden attacks upon 
one companion, or escaping from the assaults of another, rolling over on their backs, and 
striking playfully at each other, and every now and then uniting in a general skirmishing 
chase over their limited domains. 
Eyen when they are caged together with lions and tigers, their playfulness does not 
desert them, and they treat their enormous companions with amusing coolness. Lf 
remember seeing rather a comical example of the sportful propensities which take 
possession of the Leopard. Several of the feline race, such as lions, tigers, and Leopards, 
were shut up ina rather large cage, and being docile animals, had been ‘taught some of the 
usual tricks which are performed by tamed felidee. They jumped through hoops, or over 
the keeper's whip, always taking advantage of the barred front of their den to afford a 
temporary support in their leaps ; they stood on their hind legs, they rolled on their backs, 
and opened their huge jaws at the word of command, and, in fine, went through the 
established feline accomplishments. 
Among the inhabitants of the cage, two were specially conspicuous. One was a very 
fine lion, all-elorious in redundant mane and tufted tail, demure and dignified in movement, 
—as became the monarch of the predacious animals. The other was a slight, agile, 
malapert Leopard, who recked little of dignities, and, so that he could play a saucy trick, 
cared nothing for the personal stateliness of the object of his joke. 
One day, the imprisoned animals had gone through their several performances with 
the usual accompaniments of growls and snarls, when the lion, as if to assert his dignity, 
—w hich had been somewhat chafed by his ob edience to the commands of his keeper, 
began to parade up and down the den in a solemn and stately manner, his nose thrown up, 
and his tail held perfectly erect, with the tufted tip bending to and fro in a majestic and 
condescending manner. The Leopard had, in the meantime, taken up his post on a little 
wooden bracket that was hitched over the upper bars of the cage, and formed a portion 
of the machinery that was employed in the exhibition. As this bracket was hooked over 
the bars of the cage, and the lion was parading in the very front of the den, it necessarily 
happened that the perpendicularly held tail, with its nodding tuft, passed immediately 
under the little bracket whereon the Leopard had poised himself in a compact and cat- 
like manner. 
Every time the lion passed beneath, the Leopard protruded a ready paw, and hit the 
black tip of the lion’s tail a rather hard pat. The owner of the aggrieved tail took no 
notice of this insult, so the Leopard improved his amusement by lying on the bracket in 
such a manner, that both its fore paws were at liberty. As the lion passed and repassed 
below, the Leopard struck the tail-tuft first to one side, and then to the other, so that it 
enjoyed two blows at the lion’s tail instead of one. The lion, however, disdained to take 
the least notice, and the Leopard continued its amusement until the keeper put an end 
to the game by entering the cage, and commencing the performances afresh. 
There are two titles for this animal; namely, the Leopard, and Panther, both of which 
creatures are now acknowledged to be but slight varieties of the same species. The 
