14 CARNIVOROUS QUADRUPEDS. 



No. XII. 



The amiable-looking Tiger of whom we have spoken, lay something in the attitude and 

 manner of the principal PANTHER, in the present picturesque GROUP which MR. SPILSBURY 

 copied from the Sketcli-book of that admirable painter and anatomist of animals, STUBBS. 



Perhaps this sentiment of ours, may be ascribed in part at least to the undulations of 

 form, glossiness of surface, and brilliancy of colours, of these interesting creatures, reviving the 

 early mental impressions which we remember to have received at the sight of shining and speckled 

 shells, butterflies' wings, and other objects of pure beauty ; and in part to our having associated 

 ideas of innocence and domesticated habits and comfort, with the "sympathetic mirth" (as 

 GOLDSMITH'S phrase is) of sportive kittens. 



It may not be unworthy of our best philosophy to pause here, and observe how Nature 

 contrives to mingle, and seems to insist on mingling, sentiments and mental impressions, which 

 analysing man is so fond of reducing to first elements as he calls them. Surely there is, 

 about these Carnivorous and terrible creatures, a saving grace a beauty in their dreadfulness, 

 which is exceedingly interesting, although it co-exist with cruelty : for if they are cruel, their 

 cruelty is involuntary, and not implacable ; and therefore, if not pardonable, not hateful while 

 the external beauty which they possess, is of a positive nature. 



Reverting here to our own scholastic distinction, we think that Nature has, in the instance of 

 this species of quadrupeds, mingled with similar success, energy of character, with a degree of 

 mildness of expression. The natural character of the Panther is fearfully ferocious, yet a super- 

 induced kindly expression may be seen in this group from the pencil of STUBBS a sworn disciple 

 of Nature which may shew that in their home retiredness, they have not been left destitute of 

 the means of letting each other see that they are sociable, friendly, and not entirely without the 

 means of expressing the gentler emotions. Men are perhaps too exclusively disposed to look at 

 the objects around them, as those objects immediately concern themselves : MR. STUBBS, in 

 composing this capital group, took a more extensive and genuine view of things j and n otwith- 

 standing the Panther is larger and more formidable than the Leopard (from which quadruped he 

 is not always easily distinguishable), has depicted them as scarcely less mild and gentle than the 

 domestic Cat. 



The evidence of facts, however, when set in apposition, affords, in all probability, the most 

 efficacious and convincing means of manifesting such principles as we are here submitting, while 

 they exhibit the varieties of animal expression to the best advantage ; and we therefore introduce 

 another GROUP of PANTHERS, from the same Sketch-book, by STUBBS, more malignant 

 in their aspects. 



