* THE HIGHER NAEBADA. 319 



Hunting Leopard (F. Jubata). He calls both F. Pardus, 

 considering them only as varieties, not distinct species. In 

 English he calls the larger the panther and the smaller the 

 leopard, and it will be well if sportsmen will avoid future con- 

 fusion by adopting this appropriate nomenclature. The points 

 of difference between the two varieties of F. Pardus he states 

 to be the larger size of the panther, which reaches in fine 

 specimens seven feet eleven inches in length from nose to tip 

 of tail, the leopard not exceeding five feet six inches ; the 

 lighter colour, and taller and more slender figure of the 

 panther, and the rounder more bull-dog like head of the leo- 

 pard. These distinctions I myself recognised, and described 

 in "The Field," of 17th May, 1862. 



In my early sporting days I fell into the mistake of most 

 sportsmen in supposing that the panther might be hunted on 

 foot with less caution than the tiger. On two or three occa- 

 sions I nearly paid dearly for the error ; and I now believe 

 that the panther is really by far a more dangerous animal to 

 attack than the tiger. He is, in the first place, far more 

 courageous. For though he will generally sneak away un- 

 observed as long as he can, if once brought to close quarters 

 he will rarely fail to charge with the utmost ferocity, fighting 

 to -the very last. He is also much more active than the tiger, 

 making immense springs clear off the ground, which the tiger 

 seldom does. He can conceal himself in the most wonderful 

 way, his spotted hide blending with the ground, and his lithe 

 loose form being compressible into an inconceivably small 

 space. Further, he is so much less in depth and stoutness 

 than the tiger, and moves so much quicker, that he is far 

 more difficult to hit in a vital place. He can climb trees, 

 which the tiger cannot do except for a short distance up a 

 thick sloping trunk. A few years ago a panther thus took a 



