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THE INDIAN FAUNA 



known, attack man. When stalking their prey they slink along, taking advantage 

 of uneven ground, and every sort of cover to within 100 or 200 feet, when they 

 make a sudden rush. In this they display an absolutely marvellous speed for a 

 short distance, surpassing that of any other mammal, even a greyhound, for no dog 

 is able to overtake a running blackbuck or gazelle. The hunting-leopard has, 

 however, no difficulty in outrunning these animals, and one has been seen to over- 

 take in 400 strides a blackbuck 200 paces ahead. 



After eating its fill the hunting-leopard generally spends two days resting 

 in its lair. The third day it repairs to a special tree, which forms a kind of 



HUNTING-LEOPARD. 



assembling place for these animals, where it sharpens its claws, the marks being 

 soon recognised by the trappers, who fix snares of dried antelope-sinews to poles 

 driven into the ground round the tree. 



On one of these expeditions, which has been somewhat fully described, the 

 shikaris drove in a bullock-cart up to the tree, and fastened all round it, to a 

 distance of from 8 to 10 yards, the snares to the poles. Sending the cart away, one 

 of the shikaris and a European hid behind bushes and branches which had been 

 heaped up at a distance of 50 to 60 paces, in order to watch. At sunset four 

 hunting-leopards appeared, two large ones and two smaller ones. After stopping at a 

 distance of about 400 paces they came gradually closer, playing with each other all 



