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" shot about the villages on the hills. It would, I think, be inter- 

 " esting if our Commissioner would inform the public, from time to 

 " time, the number of skins presented for the Government reward. 



" The leopard, like the tiger, is remarkably wary and difficult to 

 " stalk, his keenness of vision being quite equal to that of his larger 

 " cousin, and he is less susceptible of being observed by the sports- 

 " man, his color and spots so completely blending with the rocks he 

 " generally frequents. On one occasion, in stalking a stag, not far 

 " from the Avalanche, I approached a mass of rocks near the sum- 

 " mit of a hill, from which I disturbed a leopard, who had, I 

 " believe, his eye upon the same quarry that I was in pursuit of; 

 " it was only by his movement we detected his presence ; as he 

 " glided away amongst the rocks like a shadow, it was impossible 

 " to make out his form sufficiently clear to risk a shot, and when he 

 " paused, which he did but once, his head only was visible, and 

 " that, at a couple of hundred yards was drawing it a little too fine 

 " for me. This animal appeared to me as heavy and large as any 

 " tigress. The leopard is continually found near the resorts of ibex 

 " and there is little doubt that he is a successful marauder against 

 " those very wary creatures ; the strong effluvia of the ibex greatly 

 '' assisting him in his depredations. The large class of leopards 

 " also prey on the sambur, and there is no question that many, 

 " especially hinds and calves, fall victims to this midnight prowler. 

 " He has proved himself a sad scourge too, to the sportsman when 

 " beating sholahs for woodcock and other game, as he constantly 

 " gratifies his craving for dog's flesh, by carrying off, most probably, 

 " the best dog in the pack, and not content with this, often kills 

 " two or three others at the same time. He is not over-shy at night, 

 " for he has been known to prowl about Ooty itself, close to the 

 " houses, and stray pets have been taken away and no more seen. 

 " I lost an excellent dog some years ago, which fell a victim to one 

 " of these nocturnal visits of the spotted pard. In alluding to the 

 " variety of size of these animals, it may, perhaps, be as well to 

 " take them in detail, and notice the difference that has been 

 " observed in that respect in those met with on these hills., I have 

 " mentioned the large one trapped at Sholoor, and the one I saw at 

 " the Avalanche ; taking those as the largest type, we may set thorn 



