THE LION AND OTHER BEASTS OF PREY 233 



occasions the leopard is first hoodwinked, as falcons are; and as soon 

 as the huntsman is near enough to the game the cap is taken off, the 

 leader strokes his hands several times over the eyes of the animal, and 

 turns his head towards the antelope. Scarcely does the leopard per- 

 ceive it when he immediately springs forward; but if he does not 

 succeed in overtaking the antelope in two or three leaps, he desists and 

 quietly lies down. His leader again takes him up in his cart and gives 

 him some meat and water to strengthen him. The attempt is then 

 renewed; but, if he fails a second time, he is quite discouraged, and is 

 unfit for the chase for some days. The antelope possesses such elasticity 

 that it makes leaps from thirty to forty paces, and therefore easily 

 escapes from the leopard, and hence it is indispensable to get as near 

 the game as possible. But if the leopard succeeds in catching the 

 antelope, he leaps upon its back, and clings to it with his paws ; it falls 

 down ; he thrusts his fangs in the neck of his hapless victim and sucks 

 the blood, and then quietly follows his leader. 



The Hunting Leopard. — A rare species of leopard is the 

 hunting leopard. The size of both sexes is about that of a greyhound, 

 with a slender body and long legs. The belly and the ins ides of the 

 legs are white, the rest pale-yellow, studded with small round black 

 spots, larger on the back and outside of thighs. The hair of the upper 

 part of the neck and withers is rather long, forming a small mane. 

 There is a black stripe on the ears and another from the corners of the 

 eyes to the angle of the mouth. The tail is ringed with black and 

 white and tipped with white. It is only fair to state that this species is 

 not at all common, and the sportsman who returns with a specimen is 

 very lucky. 



