THE CLOUDED TIGER. 4 d 



THE OUNCE* 



The Ounce, or " Snow Leopard," as it is commonly called by sportsmen in the hills, is found 

 throughout the Himalayas at a great elevation, never very much below the snows, at ranges varying 

 with the season from 9,000 to 18,000 feet. It is said to be more common on the Tibetan side of the 

 Himalayas ; it is found also throughout the highland region of Central Asia, and extends as far west 

 as Smyrna. 



It is about the same size as the Leopard (four feet four inches long, excluding the tail), which it 

 also resembles in habits ; in fact, it may be looked upon as a Leopard specially adapted for a cold climate. 



The ground-colour of the skin is pale yellowish-grey, turning beneath to dingy yellowish-white. It is 

 spotted in much the same way as the Leopard, though not so distinctly. " The fur throughout is very 

 dense, and it has a well-marked, though short mane. The face is short and broad, and the forehead 

 much more elevated than in any other Cat." 



The Ounce is said to frequent rocky ground, and to kill the Wild Sheep as well as Domestic 

 Sheep, Goats, and Dogs ; but it has never been known to attack man. 



THE CLOUDED TIGER.f 



This animal, which is about intermediate in size between the great Cats, such as the Lion, Tiger, 

 or Leopard, and the lesser kinds, such as the Ocelot, Eyra, or Tiger-Cats, is, as far as the markings of the 

 skin are concerned, one of the most beautiful animals in the whole family. The ground-colour of the 

 skin is not so fine as that of the Tiger, being a light buff instead of a rich orange-tawny, but the large, 

 irregular, cloud-like patches of black are far more exquisite than the parallel bands of the Tiger; and, 

 indeed, the only animal which in any way approaches it in the beauty of its markings is the Ocelot, 



* Felis uncia. 



56 



f Fdis macrocelit. 



