aUADRUPEDS. 39 



passes from the anterior angle of the eye to the corner of 

 the mouth, and by another shorter one which proceeds from 

 the posterior angle of the eye tov/ards the temple. The 

 upper parts of the body are of a beautiful clear tawny-yellow, 

 adorned by numerous small round black spots, which are 

 simple, — that is, not eye-shaped, or en forme de rose^ as in 

 the most nearly-allied species. The under parts are white, 

 marked by larger and more waving spots. The upper half 

 of the tail is tawny-yellow above and white below, with 

 black spots ; the lower half is marked by twelve alternate 

 rings of black and white. This animal measures rather 

 more than three feet in length, and stands about two feet 

 high. Its toes are lengthened like those of a dog, and the 

 claws are blunter and less curved than in the other animals 

 of the cat kind. 



In conformity with these characters the disposition of 

 the chittah is more gentle, and its nature more readily 

 admits of domestication and a certain degree of regulated 

 culture than the rest. In eastern countries it is trained to 

 the chase of antelopes and other wild animals, being carried 

 in a small wagon chained and hoodwinked till the game 

 appears. It is then let loose, and generally makes its first 

 advances by creeping insidiously like a serpent, with its 

 belly close to the ground, till within a short distance, 

 when it makes five or six tremendous bounds, and falls 

 upon its prey with the velocity of an arrow. One, which 

 died some years ago in the royal menagerie of Pans, had 

 been so completely reclaimed from a state of nature that 

 it was left in a park to the freedom of its own will, and 

 where it yet obeyed in every thing the commands of its 

 k«eper, and showed a great attachment to the society of 



dogs. 



The geographical history of this species appears to have 

 been but little known till of late years. Its distribution is 

 verj' extensive. It occurs, as we have already mentioned, 

 in Hindostan ; it is known in Persia by the name of youze, 

 and great quantities of skuis, apparently identical, are 

 transmitted to Europe from Senegal and other parts of 

 Africa. 



Several other species of the feline race are indigenous to 

 that portion of Asia which it is our present endeavour to 



