pound theories in such matters, it is at least worth 

 notice that the time when the young carnivora become 

 of an age to accompany their mothers coincides with the 

 period when the other order are usually producing their 

 offspring. 



Purely flesh-eating carnivora cannot, like hoofed 

 mammals, be classed into bush and plain-loving species ; 

 the nature of the district in which they live does not 

 appear to matter much so long as it contains their natural 

 prey, and suits their various individual methods of 

 securing it. All the species are nocturnal, or semi- 

 nocturnal, in their habits, and like to spend the hours 

 of daylight sleeping, concealed in bush, grass, holes, 

 or often quite in the open, sheltered from the direct rays 

 of the sun by some slight shade. They are seldom found 

 far from water, partly because a considerable quantity 

 of the element is necessary to them, and partly because 

 its vicinity forms their most convenient hunting-ground. 

 At night, when in pursuit of food, they often wander 

 far afield, but cockcrow generally finds them near a 

 drinking place of some kind. They all have great capacity 

 for seeing in the dark, and hearing, scent and eyesight 

 are, in most cases, remarkably developed. Their intelli- 

 gence, too, is very high ; indeed, were it not in advance 

 of that possessed by the swift-footed creatures upon 

 which most depend for their food, it is obvious that 

 they could not long have survived in the struggle for 

 existence. 



Although, generally speaking, flesh-eating prey upon 

 herb-eating mammals, or upon birds of different kinds, 

 the various species will attack each other on occasion. 

 Thus I have known leopards to kill and eat genets and 

 civets ; . lions and leopards will prey upon wild dogs a 

 compliment which the latter would certainly return 



