THE AFRICAN LEOPARD. 305 



"Never shall I forget this experience ; I can even now hear the short 

 snarls of the infuriated beast. I was saved through no skill or bravery of 

 mine, but by mere luck." , 



The leopard has no decided preference for any special locality; its haunts 

 may be found anywhere, on rocky ground as well as in wooded districts — 

 in fact, whenever it finds sufficient cover. It easily climbs trees, and often 

 hides during a hot day in their shady tops. Men have been jumped at and 

 killed by beasts concealed in the foliage, and the natives claim that the leo- 

 pard is a man-eater. Old male leopards may become man-eaters when they 

 have discovered how easy it is to secure human victims, but leopards gen- 

 erally do not indulge in stealing and eating human beings. Occasionally, 

 however, they do attack them, chiefly women and children. 



The cunning leopard roves in untold numbers nightly over the vast velts 

 of East Africa, and will do so long after the strong lion has ceased to exist. 

 The variety known as the cheetah or hunting-leopard is a more rare animal, 

 and is sometimes tamed and kept as a dog around the homestead. 



The following interesting facts ^bout the leopard will, no doubt, be ap- 

 preciated by our readers : 



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 



