parts of the creature are white with black spots or light brown, the 

 markings of the legs resemble those of the body and the long tawny 

 tail is almost encircled with dark rings. Owing to the striking 

 contrast between the light background and the dark streaks or lines, 

 whose pattern is ever different, yet always displays the beauty of 

 some regular design of its own, this species is one of the most hand- 

 some of the cat tribe and the fur is valued accordingly in the manu- 

 facture of fur luxuries both at home and abroad. 



In common with most of his kind, the ocelot is an expert 

 climber, scrambling up a smooth tree trunk with all the agility of a 

 young kitten. Indeed, in the forests of his native haunts, and he 

 seldom chooses to show himself in the open country, much of his 

 time is spent up among the branches. He prefers these leafy 

 abodes, not alone for the exercise and pleasure it must give him to 

 sport with his lithe form in such airy places, but also because it is 

 up there that he secures much of his food. To be sure he is per- 



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