CATS Of DESERT AND JUNGLE. 19 



animal alighted, I could hardly withdraw my eyes from 

 the spot. Had the dogs been equally fascinated they 

 would have lost their prey, but, spurred on by rage, be- 

 fore the leopard had run a hundred yards they had over- 

 powered and killed him." 



6. " Naturalists are not very well agreed," says Captain 

 Brown, " as to the distinctions between the panther and 

 the leopard. Both animals are spotted, and not striped as 

 the tiger is ; and the panther is generally allowed to be 

 larger than the leopard, and his range is confined to Africa. 

 Their habits are nearly alike. The panther is capable 

 of domestication, as the following account of an African 

 traveler shows : i This panther and another were found, 

 when very young, in the forest, apparently deserted by 

 their mother. They were taken to the King of Ashantee, 

 in whose palace they lived several weeks, when my hero, 

 being much larger than his companion, suffocated him in 

 a romping fit, and was sent to Mr. Hutchison at Coomas- 

 sie. This gentleman, observing that the animal was very 

 docile, took pains to tame him, and in a great measure 

 succeeded. 



7. " ' Once or twice he stole a fowl, but easily gave it 

 up to his master on being allowed a portion of something 

 else. The day of his arrival he was placed in a small 

 court, and after dinner was led by a thin cord into the 

 room, where he received our salutations with some degree 

 of roughness but with perfect good humor. On the least 

 encouragement he laid his paws upon our shoulders, 

 rubbed his head upon us, and, his teeth and claws hav- 

 ing been filed, there was no danger of tearing our clothes. 



8. " ' He was kept in the above court for a week or 

 two, and showed no ferocity, except when one of the serv- 

 ants tried to pull his food from him. He then caught the 

 offender by the leg and tore out a piece of flesh, but he 



