LEOPARDS AND PANTHERS* 131 



as the cheetahs, and are now I believe in the 

 tower. I saw them on board the ship when 

 they were very dirty, but could not discern 

 any spots on them, which perhaps might have 

 appeared when their skins were clean, 



It is distressing to see them catch the deer; 

 they are led out in chains with blinds over 

 their eyes, and sometimes they are carried 

 out in carts, and whenever antelopes or other 

 deer are seen on a plain, should any one of 

 them be separated from the rest, the chee- 

 tah's head is brought to face it, the blinds 

 removed, arid the chain taken off. 



He immediately crouches, and creeps along 

 with his belly almost touching the ground 

 until he gets within a short distance of the 

 deer, who although seeing him approach, 

 appears fascinated, and seldom attempts to 

 run away. The cheetah then makes a few 

 surprising springs and seizes him by the neck* 

 If many deer are near each other, they often 

 escape by flight; their numbers I imagine 



