458 A SPORTING TRIP THROUGH ABYSSINIA 



istics are individual and not racial. This view, moreover, is much strengthened 

 by Mr. F. C. Selous, the famous hunter, assuring us that, in Matabeleland 

 and Mashonaland, dark lions with heavy manes and pale-coloured lions 

 almost maneless occur together in a single troop. This, I consider, 

 when analysed, is not conclusive evidence ; for we ahnost always 

 find in countries on the borderland between the areas inhabited by two 

 geographical races of one species, that there occur not only typical e.xamples 

 of each race side by side but also every intergradation. This, however, is 

 no reason why we should blind ourselves to the fact that outside such 

 central areas there are large tracts of country only inhabited by one or 

 the other of these races. 



One of the points made by those who separate the lion into difterent 

 races which has tended most to give the supporters of the opposite view 

 an advantage in argument, has been the too great insistence on the colour 

 of the mane. Except in the Barbary lion and the extinct Cape lion, which 

 certainly always had dark, or even black manes, I do not believe that the 

 colour of the mane is at all material to the question. 



Lcopardus pardiis (Linn.). Leopard. 

 (Native name, " Nebere.") 



Zoologists have split up the species leopard into several races, but at the 

 time of writing I do not know if later workers have properly diagnosed 

 these races, so I will not name the African race, but treat of it binomially. 

 I will only mention that, as a rule, African leopards are smaller than Indian 

 ones, though I believe the smallest adult leopards have been shot in Asia. 

 The largest leopards are those found in China, Siberia, and Corea. 



Mr. Powell-Cotton only saw one leopard on the Gora Goba, although, 

 judging from the number of skins in the markets, they were doubtless fairly 

 numerous. The black variety was considered a great prize. 



Zibcthailurus serva! (Schreb.). Ser\-al. 

 (Native name, "Anner.") 



The serval is found all over Africa, and varies enormously ; the two 

 skins I have examined for this work are as different as possible, so I have 

 headed this paragraph with the name comprehending the whole species, 

 but the serval has been divided as follows : — 



Zibclliailiniis serval. — North and East Africa. 



Zibtthailiirns i;alfopardiis. — Senegal and Sierra Leone. 



ZibethailtiJ-us togoemis. — Togoland. 



Zibethailurus capoisis. — South Africa. 



