48 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



pale, the spots large, and the fur very long. At the March fur-sales of the present year, held at 

 the stores of Sir Charles Lampson, there were Siberian leopard-skins as large as those of a small 

 tiger. 



Leopards are essentially tree-living and nocturnal animals. Sleeping in trees or caves by 

 day, they are seldom disturbed. They do an incredible amount of mischief among cattle, calves, 

 sheep, and dogs, being especially fond of killing and eating the latter. They seize their prey by 

 the throat, and cling with their claws until they succeed in breaking the spine or in strangling 

 the victim. The largest leopards are popularly called PANTHERS. In India they sometimes 

 become man-eaters, and are always very dangerous. They have a habit of feeding on putrid 

 flesh ; this makes wounds inflicted by their teeth or claws liable to blood-poisoning. Nothing in 

 the way of prey comes amiss to them, from a cow in the pasture to a fowl up at roost. " In 

 every country," says Sir Samuel Baker, " the natives are unanimous in saying that the leopard is 

 more dangerous than the lion or tiger. 



Wberever I have been in Africa, the ^^^^^fc 



natives have declared that they had no 

 fear of a lion, provided they were not 

 hunting, for it would not attack unpro- 

 voked, but that a leopard was never to 

 be trusted. I remember when a native 

 boy, accompanied by his grown-up 

 brother, was busily employed with 

 others in firing the reeds on the op- 

 posite bank of a small stream. Being 



frl 



Photo b- J. IT. McLellan-} [Highburf 



SNOW-LEOPARD, OR OUNCE 



This is a striking portrait of a -very beautiful animal. Note the long bushy tail, thick ccat, and targe eyes 



thirsty and hot, the boy stooped down to drink, when he was immediately seized by a leopard. 

 His brother, with admirable aim, hurled his spear at the leopard while the boy was in his jaws. 

 The point separated the vertebrae of the neck, and the leopard fell stone-dead. The boy was 

 carried to my hut, but there was no chance of recovery. The fangs had torn open the chest 

 and injured the lungs. These were exposed to view through the cavity of the ribs. He died 

 the same night." 



In the great mountain-ranges of Central Asia the beautiful SNOW-LEOPARD is found. It is a 

 large creature, with thick, woolly coat, and a long tail like a fur boa. The colour is white, 

 clouded with beautiful gray, like that of an Angora cat. The edges of the cloudings and spots 

 are marked with black or darker gray. The eyes are very large, bluish gray or smoke-coloured. 

 It lives on the wild sheep, ibex, and other mountain animals. In captivity it is far the tamest 

 and gentlest of the large carnivora, not excepting the puma. Unlike the latter, it is a sleepy, 

 quiet animal, like a domestic cat. The specimen shown here belonged to a lady in India, who 

 kept it for some time as a pet. It was then brought to the Zoological Gardens, where it was 

 more amiable and friendly than most cats. The writer has entered its cage with the keeper, 

 stroked it, and patted its head, without in the least ruffling its good-temper. The heat of the 

 lion-house did not suit it, and it died of consumption. 



