142 THE LEOPARD. 



The Leopard has often been tamed, and indeed, almost domesticated, being permitted to 

 range the house at will, greatly to the consternation of strange visitors. This complete state 

 of docility can, however, only take place in an animal which has either been born in captivity, 

 or taken at so early an age that its savage propensities have never had time to expand. Even 

 in this case, the disposition of the creature must be naturally good, or it remains proof against 

 kindness and attention, never losing a surliness of temper that makes its liberation too perilous 

 an experiment. The very same treatment by the same people will have a marvellously different 

 effect on two different animals, though they be of the same species, or even the offspring of 

 the same parents. 



Some years ago, a couple of Leopards, which lived in England, afforded a strong proof of 

 the innate individuality of these animals. One of them, a male, was always sulky and 

 unamiable, and never would respond to offered kindnesses. The female, on the contrary, was 

 most docile and affectionate, eagerly seeking for the kind words and caresses of her keeper. 

 She was extremely playful, as is the wont of most Leopards, and was in the habit of indulging 

 in an amusement which is generally supposed to be the specialty of the monkey tribe. 

 Nothing pleased her so well as to lay her claws on some article of dress belonging to her 

 visitors, to drag it through the bars of her cage and to tear it in pieces. Scarcely a day passed 

 that this amusingly mischievous animal did not entirely destroy a hat, bonnet, or parasol, or 

 perhaps protrude a rapid paw and claw off a large piece of a lady's dress. 



The cubs of the Leopard are pretty, graceful little creatures, with short pointed tails, and 

 spots of a fainter tint than those of the adult animal. Their number is from one to five. Even 

 in captivity, the Leopard is a most playful animal, especially if in the society of companions 

 of its own race. The beautiful spotted creatures sport with each other just like so many 

 kittens, making, with their wild, graceful springs, sudden attacks upon one companion, or 

 escaping from the assaults of another, rolling over on their backs, and striking playfully 

 at each other, and every now and then uniting in a general skirmishing chase over their 

 limited domains. 



Even when they are caged together with lions and tigers, their playfulness does not desert 

 them, and they treat their enormous companions with amusing coolness. I remember seeing 

 rather a comical example of the sportful propensities which take possession of the Leopard. 

 Several of the feline race, such as lions, tigers, and Leopards, were shut up in a rather large 

 cage, and being docile animals, had been taught some of the usual tricks which are performed 

 by tamed felidse. They jumped through hoops, or over the keeper's whip, always taking 

 advantage of the barred front of their den to afford a temporary support in their leaps ; they 

 stood on their hind legs, they rolled on their backs, and opened their huge jaws at the word 

 of command, and, in fine, went through the established feline accomplishments. 



Among the inhabitants of the cage, two were specially conspicuous. One was a very fine 

 lion, all-glorious in redundant mane and tufted tail, demure and dignified in movement, as 

 became the monarch of the predacious animals. The other was a slight, agile, malapert 

 Leopard, who recked little of dignities, and, so that he could play a saucy trick, cared nothing 

 for the personal stateliness of the object of his joke. 



One day, the imprisoned animals had gone through their several performances with the 

 usual accompaniments of growls and snarls, when the lion, as if to assert his dignity, which 

 had been somewhat chafed by his obedience to the commands of his keeper, began to parade 

 up and down the den in a solemn and stately manner, his nose thrown up, and his tail held 

 perfectly erect, with the tufted tip bending to and fro in a majestic and condescending manner. 

 The Leopard had, in the meantime, taken up his post on a little wooden bracket that was 

 hitched over the upper bars of the cage, and formed a portion of the machinery that was 

 employed in the exhibition. As this bracket was hooked over the bars of the cage, and the 

 lion was parading in the very front of the den, it necessarily happened that the perpendicularly 

 held tail, with its nodding tuft, passed immediately under the little bracket whereon the 

 Leopard had poised himself in a compact and cat-like manner. 



Every time the lion passed beneath, the Leopard protruded a ready paw, and hit the black 

 tip of the lion's tail a rather hard pat. The owner of the aggrieved tail took no notice of this 



