The Leopard and Panther 165 



fatal." Sir W. C. Harris mentions it as a peculiarity of 

 the leopard's attack that it strikes at the face ; Drummond 

 says nothing about this trait, and the former author proba- 

 bly fell into some confusion of ideas, caused by the well- 

 known tendency of this species to tear open the great 

 vessels of the throat. 



Panthers and leopards are only varieties of the same 

 species, yet while the reputation of the former is such as 

 has been stated, hunters often speak of the latter as if it 

 were nearly harmless so far as human beings are con- 

 cerned. Leopards are described as having been shot right 

 and left in the jungle, treed by dogs and killed on limbs 

 without difficulty, pelted from the doorways of deserted 

 huts, and speared in the open from the saddle. Leveson, 

 Drummond, and Baker relate experiences of this kind, but 

 the literature of the subject contains many very different 

 accounts of their prowess. Both in Asia and Africa they 

 have often been found to be extremely dangerous and 

 destructive animals. There is good reason why in heral- 

 dic blazonry the leopard should be represented as passant 

 gardant. The designers did not know it, but the fact is 

 that no animal capable of doing so much harm, and that 

 has as many evil deeds to answer for, is at once so enter- 

 prising, so stealthy, and so full of cunning. Compared 

 with him, the greater Felidcz, on the one hand, and that 

 much-abused assassin and robber, the fox, upon the 

 other, are "mild-mannered," and might be called bunglers. 



When a tiger and the same may be said of the lion 

 attempts to carry out a scheme he has formed for the sur- 

 prise and murder of some man whose whereabouts he has 



