54 THE LEOPARD. 



a n/an or a bullock may be carried off daily, and yet no steps will be 

 taken to avert the danger, with the exception of a few amulets sus- 

 pended about the person. Sometimes the Tigers seem to take a panic 

 and make a general emigration, leaving, without any apparent reason, 

 the spots which they had long infested, and making a sudden appear- 

 ance in some locality where they have but seldom before been seen. 



Many modes are adopted of killing so fearful a pest as the Tiger, 

 and some of these plans are very ingenious — such as tlie spring-bow, 

 which is discharged by the movements of the animal itself; the pitfall, 

 from which it cannot escape ; the leaves smeared with bird-lime, by 

 which the Tiger blinds itself, and so falls an easy prey; the fall-trap ; 

 and many others. Among Europeans, however, the Tiger is hunted 

 in due form, the sportsmen being mounted on elephants, and furnished 

 with a perfect battery of loaded rifles. The shell bullet, which ex- 

 plodes as it enters the body, has come much into vogue. 



The Tiger is a capital swimmer, and will take to the water with 

 perfect readiness, eithej* in search of prey or to escape the pursuit of 

 enemies. 



It swims rather high in the water, and therefore affords a good mark 

 to those who are quick of aim. The natatory abilities are by no means 

 small, and while swimming it can strike out with its paws most effect- 

 ively, inflicting deep wounds wherever its outspread talons make good 

 their aim. So cunning is the animal that if there should be no cause 

 for hurry it will halt on the river's brink, and deliberately put its paw 

 into the water, so as to ascertain the force of the stream. This point 

 being made clear, it proceeds either up or down the river, as may best 

 suit its purpose, and so makes allowance for the river stream or the 

 ocean tide. 



Unlike the Tiger, which is confined to the Asiatic portion of the 

 world, the Leopard is found in Africa as well as in Asia, and is 

 represented in America by the Jaguar, or, perhaps more rightly, by 

 the Puma. 



This animal is one of the most graceful of the graceful tribe of Cats, 

 and, although far less in dimensions than the tiger, challenges competi- 

 tion with that animal in the beautiful markings of its fur and the easy 

 elegance of its movements. It is possessed of an accomplishment which 

 is not within the powers of the lion or tiger, being able to climb trees 

 with singular ability, and even to chase the tree-loving animals among 

 their familiar haunts. On account of this power, it is called by the 

 natives of India " Lakree-baug," or Tree-tiger. Even in Africa it is 

 occasionally called a '* Tiger," a confusion of nomenclature which is 

 quite bewildering to a non-zoologist, who may read in one book that 

 there are no tigers in Africa, and in another may peruse a narrative 

 of a tiger-hunt at the Cape. Similar mistakes are made with regard to 



