430 ANIMALS OF THE 



found. The differences between this animal and 

 the former are these : the large panther is often 

 found to be six feet long from the tip of the nose 

 to the insertion of the tail ; the panther of Sene- 

 gal is not above four. The large panther is mark- 

 ed with spots in the manner of a rose, that is, five 

 or six make a kind of circle, and there is gene- 

 rally a large one in the middle ; the leopard of 

 Senegal has a much more beautiful coat, the yel- 

 low is more brilliant, and the spots are smaller, 

 and not disposed in rings, but in clusters. As to 

 the rest, they are both whitish under the belly ; 

 the tail in both is pretty long, but rather longer 

 in proportion in the latter than in the former. To 

 these two animals, whose differences seem to be 

 so very minute, we may add a third, namely, the 

 Jaguar or Panther of America, This in every 

 respect resembles the two former, except in the 

 disposition of its spots, and that its neck and head 

 are rather streaked than spotted. The jaguar is 

 also said to be lower upon its legs, and less than 

 the leopard of Senegal. These three quadrupeds, 

 as we see, have but very slight differences, and 

 the principal distinction used by M. Buffon is 

 taken from the size ; the first, as he says, is usu- 

 ally six feet long, the second four feet, and the 

 last about three : however, it appears from the 

 particular subjects of his description, that the 

 panther in his possession was not above three feet 

 seven inches long ; that the leopard's skin which 

 he describes was about four ; and that the jaguar, 

 at two years old, was between two and three feet 

 long, which, when come to its full growth, would 



