68 HABITS OF THE CHEETAH. 



rolling over his prey by a blow of the paw. he tears 

 open his victim's throat, and laps the warm blood 

 with a low growl of satisfaction. The keepers now 

 hurry up, and after appeasing the cheetah with a 

 portion of the antelope, go in pursuit of more game. 

 Sometimes it happens that the hunting leopard 

 fails to strike his prey at the first onset, in which 

 case, after a few tremendous bounds, he desists from 

 any further efforts, and lies down, growling sulkily. 

 In this trait the animal resembles all the cats, 

 which invariably secure their prey by lying in wait, 

 or creeping stealthily up to it, and then darting 

 forward with a sudden spring, never attempting to 

 run it down by dint of speed and endurance, as do 

 the dogs and wolves. With the larger animals of 

 the race, such as the tiger, lion, jaguar, &c., the 

 voice is a most efficient aid to them in seizing their 

 prey : the tremendous roar uttered by the animal 

 when springing, seeming for the moment to paralyse 

 the quarry, and render ineffectual its efforts at 

 escape. 



The cheetah is an inhabitant both of Asia 

 and Africa, but although those found on either 

 continent belong to the same species, no attempt 

 has been made to reclaim them in the latter country. 

 In a wild state its habits are shy, its favourite 

 haunts being wooded ravines, where shelter and 

 water can be found, as it rarely approaches human 



