140 



CASSELL'S POPULAR NATURAL BISTORT. 



Colonel H. Smith whose long experience and accuracy of observation we have often rendered available 

 niul who deservedly ranks as an authority, in this department of nature, above that of any other of our 



n.u nralists says : "The leopard, when compared with the jaguar and the panther of naturalists, is 



uniformly of a paler yellowish colour, rather smaller, and the dots rose-formed, or consisting of severa. 

 .lots |urti;illy united into a circular figure, in some instances, and into a quadrangular, triangular, or 

 other less determinate form, in others ; there are also several single isolated black spots, which more 

 especially occur on the outside of the limbs." 



The panther, according to Professor Lichtenstein, of Berlin, "resembles the jaguar in having the 

 same number of rows of spots, but is distinguished by having no full spots on the dorsal line." But, 

 as Colonel H. Smith observes, it does not appear that full spots on the dorsal line always constitute the 

 specific character of the jaguar; and the Asiatic leopard is sometimes distinguished by this peculiarity, 

 though it does not, in other respects, resemble the American animal. Mr. Swaiiison after copying 

 Colonel Smith's description of the leopard proceeds to say : " Our own opinion of the specific dis- 

 similarity between the leopard and the panther, judging from what has been written on the subject, is in 

 perfect unison with that of Colonel Smith ; whilst the following remark of that observing naturalist 



:'**. 



TIIK PASTI1KI!. 



incidentally inserted in his account of the panther of antiquity, seems to us almost conclusive : ' The 

 open spots, which mark all the panthers, have the inner surface of the annuli, or rings, more fulvous (in 

 other words, darker) than the general colour of the sides ; but, in the leopard, no such distinction 

 appears; nor is there room, as the small and more congregated dots are too close to admit it.' In 

 truth, if there is any reliance to be placed on the most accurate figures hitherto published, the SHIM] I 

 spots of the leopard and the large ones of the panther must strike even a casual observer, and lead 

 him to believe that the two animals were called by different names." 



The following interesting particulars of an encounter with one of these animals are from the pen 

 of a gentleman who witnessed it : 



" I was at Jaffna, at the northern extremity of the Island of Ceylon, in the beginning of the year 

 when, one morning, my servant called me an hour or two before my usual time, with '51 

 i- ! people sent for master's dogs tiger in the town !' Now, my clogs chanced to be some very 

 MgeiMCate specimens of a fine species, called the Poligar dog, which I should designate as :i sort of 

 wiry haired greyhound, without scent. I kept them to hunt jackals; but tigers are very different 

 things. By the way, there are no real tigers in Ceylon ; but leopards and panthers are always calleil 

 so, h\ nurs.-lves as well as by the natives. This turned out to be a panther. My gun chanced 

 be put together ; and, while my servant was doing it, the collector and two medical men, who 



