THE LEOPARD. 



Some years ago, a couple of Leopards, which lived in England, afforded a strong 



roof of the innate individuality of these animals. One of them, a male, was always sulky 

 and unamiable, and never would respond to offered kindnesses. The female, on the 

 contrary, was most docile and affectionate, eagerly seeking for the kind words and 

 caresses of her keeper. She was extremely playful, as is the wont of most Leopards, 

 and was in the habit of indulging in an amusement which is generally supposed to be 

 the specialty of the monkey tribe. Nothing pleased her so well as to lay her claws 

 on some article of dress belonging to her visitors, to drag it through the bars of her 

 cage and to tear it in pieces. Scarcely a day passed that this amusingly mischievous 

 animal did not entirely destroy a hat, bonnet, or parasol, or perhaps protrude a rapid 

 paw and claw off a large piece of a lady's dress. 



The cubs of the Leopard are pretty, graceful little creatures, with short pointed tails 

 and spots of a fainter tint than those of the adult animal. Their number is from one 

 to five. Even in captivity, the Leopard is a most playful animal, especially if in the 

 society of companions of its own race. The beautiful spotted creatures sport with each 

 other just like so many kittens, making, with their wild, graceful springs, sudden attacks 

 upon one companion, or escaping from the assaults of another, rolling over on their 

 backs, and striking playfully at each other, and every now and then uniting in a general 

 skirmishing chase over their limited domains. 



Even when they are caged together with lions and tigers, their playfulness does not 

 desert them, and they treat their enormous companions with amusing coolness. I 

 remember seeing rather a comical example of the sportful propensities which take 

 possession of the Leopard. Several of the feline race, such as lions, tigers, and 

 Leopards, were shut up in a rather large cage, and being docile animals, had been 

 taught some of the usual tricks which are performed by tamed felidae. They jumped 

 through hoops, or over the keeper's whip, always taking advantage of the barred front 

 of their den to afford a temporary support in their leaps; they stood on their hind 

 legs, they rolled on their backs, and opened their huge jaws at the word of command, 

 and, in fine, went through the established feline accomplishments. 



Among the inhabitants of the cage, two were especially conspicuous. One was a 

 very fine lion, all-glorious in redundant mane and tufted tail, demure and dignified in 

 movement, as became the monarch of the predacious animals. The other was a slight, 

 agile, malapert Leopard, who recked little of dignities, and, so that he could play a 

 saucy trick, cared nothing for the personal stateliness of the object of his joke. 



One day, the imprisoned animals had gone through their several performances with 

 the usual accompaniments of growls and snarls, when the lion, as if to assert his dignity, 

 which had been somewhat chafed by his obedience to the commands of his keeper, 

 began to parade up and down the den in a solemn and stately manner, his nose 

 thrown up, and his tail held perfectly erect, with the tufted tip bending to and fro in a 

 majestic and condescending manner. The Leopard had, in the meantime, taken up 

 his post on a little wooden bracket that was hitched over the upper bars of the cage, 

 and formed a portion of the machinery that was employed in the exhibition. As this 

 bracket was hooked over the bars of the cage, and the lion was parading in the very 

 front of the den, it necessarily happened that the perpendicularly held tail, with its 

 nodding tuft, passed immediately under the little bracket whereon the Leopard had 

 poised himself in a compact and catlike manner. 



Every time the lion passed beneath, the Leopard protruded a ready paw, and hit the 

 black tip of the lion's tail a rather hard pat. The owner of the aggrieved tail took no 

 notice of this insult, so the Leopard improved his amusement by lying on the bracket 

 in such a manner, that both its fore paws were at liberty. As the lion passed and 

 repassed below the Leopard struck the tail-tuft first to one side, and then to the other, so 

 that it enjoyed two blows at the lion's tail instead one. The lion, however, disdained 

 to take the least notice, and the Leopard continued its amusment until the keeper put 

 an end to the game by entering the cage, and commencing the performances afresh. 



There are two titles for this animal ; namely, the Leopard, and Panther, both of 

 which creatures are now acknowledged to be but slight varieties of the same species. 



