MISCELLANEOUS. 153 



killed every year, it goes only as legitimate food for Tom. 

 Native shikarees very rarely go to look for pigs where 

 tigers are also to be found, as they do not know with 

 whom the encounter may turn out with. 



Of panthers or leopards in Bengal proper, where also 

 pigs abound, there are three varieties to be found, includ- 

 ing the cheeta (felis jubata). This latter seems very rare, 

 and I have come only across one, which had been killed 

 by some of the Modoopore villagers in 1874. Of the 

 leopard (Felis leopardus) there are two species, the grass 

 and the tree kind, the former is a much bigger and 

 powerful animal, and is also of a lighter colour than the 

 tree, or, rather, I should say, the village kind, which is 

 not only darker and much handsomer, but is also a much 

 smaller animal with a shorter tail, these latter are chiefly 

 found in village jungles, and very often also in trees, but 

 as I do not pretend to write a book on Natural History, 

 I shall revert to my former subject. 



In all pig - sticking countries leopards of both species 

 are more or less plentiful, and it is not very unusual to 

 put out pigs and leopards out of the same piece of grass 

 or crops. Leopards have often been speared on horse- 

 back, but such sport is not much in vogue owing, 1 

 suppose, to the great risk there is for the rider as well 

 as for his steed. Though leopards and pigs are some- 

 times found in the same cover, it is more by accident 

 than choice, as pigs have a natural dread of 'pard. A 

 big boar, though he may be a match for any leopard, 

 will still avoid the combat if he can, while, on the other 



