Game Animals of India, etc. 



indicated by designating one the lesser and the other 

 the larger Indian leopard ; the name " panther " being 

 allowed to fall, so far as possible, into oblivion. 



The next point is the definition of the leopard. 

 Under this term are included all varieties of large 

 ring-spotted cats inhabiting the Old World, with the 

 exception of the snow-leopard, of which the distinctive 

 features are pointed out later. From the hunting- 

 leopard, the present species, in addition to the difference 

 in general form and the structure of the claws, is dis- 

 tinguished by the circumstance that a certain proportion 

 of the spots on the back and sides form large circular 

 broken rosettes, while all those of the former animal 

 are smaller and solid. The only other cat with which 

 the leopard is liable to be confounded is the jaguar of 

 the New World ; the latter being generally recognisable 

 by the presence of a small black central spot to each 

 rosette, of which there is no trace in the leopard, and a 

 difference in the length of the tail. 



In size the leopard is variable ; the extremes of 

 length ranging from less than six to as much as eight 

 feet. The general ground-colour of the upper-parts 

 varies from olive through rufous to pale yellow or 

 brownish yellow, and that ot the under -parts from 

 yellow to white. The black spots on the head and 

 lower part of the limbs are small and solid ; and such 

 solid spots may be continued on to the neck and 

 shoulders, as well as in a double line down the middle 

 of the hind part of the back, while the greater portion 

 of the outer surface of the limbs may occasionally be 

 solid-spotted. Over a larger or smaller extent of the 

 upper surface of the body and outer side of the upper 

 portion of the limbs the spots take the form of rosettes, 

 consisting of a black, and frequently interrupted ring 

 with a pale centre, which may or may not be darker 

 than the general ground-colour. On the under-parts 

 the spots are solid, and often lighter-coloured than 

 those of the back, being generally also larger and more 



310 



