THE PANDA, OR WAH. 42] 
rapidly darkens into a peculiarly rich black upon the ribs and the outside of the legs. 
The head is of a whitish-fawn colour, with a ruddy chesnut spot under each eye. The 
tail is of the same chesnut hue as the body, and is marked with a series of dark rings. 
The head is very short, and thick muzzled, presenting a curious contrast to the coaitis and 
racoons. 
It is generally found among the trees that grow near rivers and mountain-torrents, 
but does not seem to occur in sufficient numbers to render its beautiful fur an object of 
commercial value. This is the more to be regretted, as the coat of the Panda is not only 
handsome in appearance, but is very thick, fine, and warm in texture, being composed of 
a double set of hairs, the one forming a thick woolly covering to the skin, and the other 
composed of long glistening hairs that pierce through the wool and give the exquisitely 
rich colouring to the surface of the fur. The soles of the feet are not merely defended by 
nailed and thickened cuticles, but are furnished with a heavy covering of woolly hair, 
which in some species is of a light grey colour, and in others of a snowy white, that 
contrasts strangely with the deep rich black of the legs and paws. 
The food of the Panda is usually of an animal character, and consists chiefly of birds, 
their eggs, and the smaller Mammalia and insects, many of which it discovers on the 
trees whereon it is generally found. 
