140 ZOOLOGY. [PAET II 



rous nor very dangerous, as they seldom attack man. 

 By Europeans they are commonly called cheetahs ; but 

 the true cheetah, the hunting leopard of India (Felis 

 jubata), does not exist in Ceylon. There is a rare 

 variety which has been found in various parts of the 

 island, in which the skin, instead of being spotted, is of 

 a uniform black. 1 The leopards frequent the vicinity 

 of pasture lands in quest of the deer and other peace- 

 ful animals which resort to them ; and the villagers 

 often complain of the destruction of their cattle by 

 these formidable marauders. In relation to them, the 

 natives have a curious but firm conviction that when 

 a bullock is killed by a leopard, and, in expiring, falls 

 so that its right side is undermost, the leopard will not 

 return to devour it. I have been told by English 

 sportsmen (some of whom share in the popular belief), 

 that sometimes, when they have proposed to watch 

 by the carcase of a bullock recently killed by a leopard, 

 in the hope of shooting the spoiler on his return in 

 search of his prey, the native owner of the slaughter- 

 ed animal, though earnestly desiring to be avenged, 

 has assured them that it would be in vain, as, the beast 

 having fallen on its right side, the leopard would not 

 return. 



The Singhalese hunt them for the sake of their ex- 

 tremely beautiful skins, but prefer taking them in traps 

 and pitfalls, and occasionally in spring cages formed of 

 poles driven firmly into the ground, within which a kid 

 is generally fastened as a bait ; the door being held 

 open by a sapling bent down by the united force of 

 several men, and so arranged as to act as a, spring, to 

 which a noose is ingeniously attached, formed of plaited 

 deer's hide. The cries of the kid attract the leopard, 

 which being tempted to enter, is enclosed by the libe- 

 ration of the spring and grasped firmly round the body by 

 the noose. 



F. melas, Peron and Leseur. 



