The Hunting-Leopard 



described, that there would be nothing gained by its 

 repetition. 



Hunting-leopards never attack man, and very seldom 

 carry off or molest domesticated animals. Considering 

 that on ordinary ground the best English greyhounds 

 have not a chance with blackbuck, the speed of the 

 hunting-leopard during its final rush must be tremen- 

 dous. This speed can, however, only be maintained 

 for a very short distance, and a well-mounted horseman 

 can come up with a hunting-leopard after a compara- 

 tively short run, when it generally permits itself to be 

 speared without vigorous resistance, although at times 

 requiring to be driven out from the covert in which it 

 has taken refuge. If the statement by Jardine that 

 these animals were formerly kept by the Moghul 

 emperors in thousands for sporting purposes is to be 

 relied upon, it would seem that they must have been 

 more numerous than is the case at the present day, 

 when they are comparatively rare. 



A full-grown hunting-leopard stands about 2-^ feet 

 in height at the shoulder, and has a total length of 

 about 7 feet, 2^j of which is accounted for by the tail 

 alone. 



THE INDIAN CIVET 



(Viverra zibetha) 



Native Names. — Khatas, Hindustani (in common 

 with several small Carnivora) ; Mach-bhondar^ 

 Bagdos^ AND Puda-ganla^ Bengali ; Bhran in 

 THE Nepal Terai ; Nil-biralu^ Nepalese ; Rung 

 OF the Bhotias ; Sa-phiong of the Lepchas ; 

 Kyoung-myeng (horse-cat), Burmese ; Tangalong^ 

 Malay. 



Although commonly called cats or civet-cats, the 

 civets and their allies the palm-civets are very different 



347 



