394 



CARNIVORES. 



irregular rosettes, -with the central area of each generally' rather darker thaia the 

 ground-colour of the fur. As in the leopard, the spots on the head, the lower 

 portions of the limbs, and the extremity of the tail have no hght-coloured centres. 

 A black streak extends from near the middle of the back to the root of the tail. 

 The tail itself is remarkable for the length of its fur, scarcely diminishing in 

 diameter from root to tip. The length of a specimen noticed by Mr. Blanford 

 was 7 feet 4 inches, of which 3 feet were occupied by the tail. 



The snow-leopard inhabits the elevated regions of Central Asia. In Ladak it does 

 not descend below the level of some nine thousand feet above the sea-level in winter, 

 while in summer it ranges to a height of eighteen thousand feet and upwards ; in 

 the Gilgit district of the North-West Himalaya it is reported, however, by Dr. 

 Scully to descend as low as six thousand feet in winter. The long and thick fur is 

 speciallj- adapted to protect the animal against the severe winter cold of the regions 

 it inhabits. The beauty of the fur of a snow-leopard killed during the winter is 

 unrivalled. 



The northern range of the snow-leopard extends to the Altai ^Mountains and 

 some distance beyond, while to the north-east it embraces Amurland and the 

 Island of Saghalien. The animal is probably found all over Tibet, but how far to 

 the westward of Gilgit it extends is at present unknown. It has, indeed, been 

 reported from Persia and Armenia : but it has now been ascertained that, so far as 

 the latter country at least is concerned, this is owing to the long-haired varietj' of 

 the leopard refen-ed to above having been mistaken for the ounce. 



Our knowledge of the habits of the snow -leopard is at jiresent but limited, 

 since comparatively few Europeans have seen the animal in its wild state. From 

 living in a practically treeless country, it is probable that it is unable to 

 climb. It preys chiefly upon wild sheep, and goats, and mamiots, and other 

 Rodents : it wages war upon domestic sheep and goats when grazing upon the 

 higher grounds ; and it will likewise, it is said, occa.sionally attack ponies. It is 

 reported never to molest man. The writer once saw a snow-leopard in Ladak 

 at a considerable distance. Only one living example of this animal has hitherto 

 been brought to England. This was a young one, believed to have come from 

 Bhutan, which was purchased by the Zoological Society in 1891, but did not long 

 survive its arrival. 



The Jaguar {Felis onca). 



The jaguar is the largest representative of the Cat family inhabiting the New 

 World, being somewhat superior in size to the leopard, and having a relatively 

 larger head. It agrees with the two preceding species in the ornamentation of the 

 fur taking the form of large rosette-like dark spots, enclosing lighter centres ; and 

 likewise in the circular form of the pupil of the eye. The spots are, however, con- 

 siderably larger than in the leopard ; the ring of each being usually formed of a 

 number of small spots, while the light centre of each I'osette contains one or more 

 spots. Moreover, the rosettes are ai-ranged in from seven to eight longitudinal 

 I'ows on each side of the bod}'. The ground-colour of the fur is usually of a rich 

 tan, the same tint obtaining in the middle of the rosettes. There is, however, a 



