98 VERTEBRATA. MAMMALIA. 



with extreme agility, they pursue monkeys and the 

 smaller animals among the branches, or spring upon 

 the deer and antelopes on the ground beneath. In- 

 stances are on record of their natural ferocity having 

 entirely yielded to kind treatment, being replaced 

 by great docility and affection. The following ac- 

 count by Mrs. Bowdich, of a Panther in her posses- 

 sion, exhibits the animal in a very amiable view. 



" I am induced to send you some account of a 

 Panther which was in my possession for several 

 months. He and another were found, when very 

 young, in the forest, apparently deserted by their 

 mother. They were taken to the King of Ashantee, 

 in whose palace they lived several weeks ; when my 

 hero being much larger than his conrpanion, suffo- 

 cated him in a fit of romping, and was then sent 

 to Mr. Hutchison. This gentleman, observing that 

 the animal was very docile, took pains to tame him, 

 and in a great measure succeeded. When he was 

 about a year old, Mr. Hutchison returned to Cape 

 Coast, and had him led through the country by a 

 chain, occasionally letting him loose when eating 

 was going forward, when he would sit by his master's 

 side, and receive his share with comparative gen- 

 tleness. On the day of his arrival he was placed 

 in a small court, leading to the private rooms of the 

 governor, and after dinner was led by a thin cord 

 into the room, when he received our salutations with 

 some degree of roughness, but with perfect good- 

 humour. On the least encouragement, he laid his 

 paws upon our shoulders, rubbed his head upon us, 



