330 THE CHEETA OR HUNTING-LEOPARD. 



standintf corn, from -which he will charge several times and bite and claw- 

 half-a-dozen people before he is despatched or makes his escape, is no un- 

 common occurrence in India. At night panthers and leopards frequently 

 find their -vs-ay into goat-folds or calf-pens, climbing over -walls or the roofs 

 of native huts in their burglarious inroads, and carrying off their prey -v\ith 

 great boldness and agility. They appear to have a peculiar penchant lor 

 dogs ; and I have kno-wn many villages in parts of ]\Iysore -where panthers 

 and leopards were numerous, in which not a dog was to be found, or per- 

 chance but one or two, which would be pointed out by their owners as 

 " very lucky " ones, they ha-ving escaped, sometimes from the very clutches 

 of their unceasing foe, whilst their companions had successively fallen 

 victims to his stealthy attacks. 



I have never known a case of a panther or leopard taking to man-eating 

 in Mysore, though many such instances are recorded from other parts of 

 India. Further information regarding the habits and disposition of these 

 animals will be gleaned from a perusal of the next chapter, which I propose 

 to devote to recitals of adventures in hunting panthers and leopards. 



The cheeta or hunting - leopard is, as I have already sho-wn in the 

 game-list of Mysore (Chapter III.), almost unknown in the province. During 

 thirteen years I have only seen two skins, both shot by native shikaries. 

 I liave never seen tlie animal in its wild state myself. I shall therefore 

 only give a short description of it, which I transcribe from Dr Jerdon's 

 Mammals, and from an article that appeared in The Field of September 7, 

 1867, on the Felidce of India, from the competent pen of Major-General 

 H. Shakspear. 



Dr Jerdon's description is : " Bright rufous fawn with numerous black 

 spots, not in rosettes ; a black streak from the corner of each eye down the 

 face ; tail with black spots and the tip black ; ears short and round ; tail 

 long, much compressed towards the end ; hair of belly long and shaggy, and 

 with a consideralile mane ; pupils circular ; points of the claws always 

 visible ; the figure slender, small in the loins like a greyhound ; limbs long. 

 Lengtli, head and body, about 4| feet; tail, 2^ ; height, 2| to 2| feet. 



" The hunting-leopard is found throughout Central and part of Southern 

 India, and in the north-west from Khandesh, through Sind and Eajput;ina 

 to the Punjaub." 



Major-General Shakspear says : " The cheeta or hunting-leopard has the 

 foot and toe-nail of the dog, without any more retractile power, and is there- 

 fore canine. Though his height is e(|ual to the pantlier's, he does not weigli 

 mucli more than half as nnich as that animal. He is as truly made for 

 speed as the greyhound — indeed ho must be for a short distance much 



