98 THE LEOPARD. 



panther; for it is common in Barbary, Persia, and China, and 

 is sometimes trained for hunting. When accustomed to subjec- 

 tion, it is exceedingly gentle. The hunters carry it with them on 

 horseback, and have it as much under command as a setting dog; 

 when sent out it will return at a call, and jump up behind its 

 master. 



The scent of this animal is inferior to that of the dog. It hunts 

 solely by the eye, and is not sufficiently swift to overtake its prey 

 in a long chase ; but it is exceedingly nimble in leaping. It fre- 

 quently climbs trees to place itself on the watch, and suddenly 

 to dart upon such animals as it sees passing. 



THE LEOPARD. 



This beautiful, but ferocious animal, is an inhabitant of the 

 interior parts of Africa, where the species most abounds ; but it 

 is also found in several parts of India, China, and Arabia ; and 

 is hunted for its flesh as well as its skin, which is exceedingly 

 beautiful, being of a fine bright yellow, thickly diversified with 

 small black spots, disposed in clusters highly ornamental. When 

 brought to Europe, the skins of these animals are greatly es- 

 teemed. 



Their flesh is said to be as white as veal, and well tasted ; it 

 is much relished by the negroes, who frequently take them in pit- 

 falls, covered at the top, and baited with a morsel of some kind 

 of flesh. The female negroes make collars of their teeth, \Cbich 

 they wear as charms, and to which their imagination, clouded by 

 ignorance, and influenced by superstition, its natural concomi- 

 tant, has induced them to attribute extraordinary virtues. 



When these animals cannot find a sufficient supply of food in 

 their native solitudes, in the uncultivated parts of Africa, they 

 frequently come down in great numbers into the Lower Guinea, 

 where they make horrible devastations among the herds of cattle 

 which cover the plains of that fertile country, and spare no liv- 

 ing creature that has the misfortune to fall in their 'w r ay. 



The late Sir Ashton Lever kept a leopard in a cage at Leices- 

 ter-house, where it became so tame as always to appear gratified 

 by attention and caresses; testifying its pleasure by purring, and 

 rubbing itself against the bars like a cat. Sir Ashton presented 

 it to the royal menagerie in the Tower, where a person previ- 

 ously acquainted with it, went, after an interval of more than 

 twelve months, and was greatly surprised to find himself recog- 

 nised by the animal, which began to renew its usual caresses. 



In India there is a species of the leopard about the size of a 

 greyhound, marked with spots pretty much like the rest of the 

 kind, but of which the ground colour is a less brilliant yellow, 

 inclining to tawny. This species of leopard is frequently tamed, 



