BOOK VIII.] History of Nature. 31 



that its Grief might be seen even in a Panther. She had but 

 lately produced Young, and her Whelps were fallen into a 

 Pit at a Distance off. The first Point of Pity that the Man 

 shewed was not to be afraid ; and the next, to direct his 

 Regard to her ; and so following her in the Way whither she 

 drew him by his Garment, which she gently held with her 

 Claws, as he understood the Occasion of her Sorrow, and the 

 Reward of his Courtesy, he drew forth her little ones ; which 

 done, she and her Whelps, leaping for Joy, accompanied him, 

 and directed him all the Way to beyond the Wilderness. 

 So that it easily could be discerned that she was thankful 

 to him, and that they mutually acknowledged each other: 

 a rare Example to be found even amongst Men. This Story 

 gives great Credit to that which Democritus reporteth : That 

 Thoas, in Arcadia, was preserved by a Dragon. This Thoas, 

 when a Child, had loved this Dragon exceedingly well, and 

 nourished him ; but being in some dread of the Serpent's 

 Nature, and fearing his Magnitude, he had carried him into 

 the Deserts ; wherein being environed by the Stratagems of 

 Thieves, when he cried out, the Dragon, knowing his voice, 

 came forth and rescued him. As for the Things reported 

 concerning Infants cast forth to perish, and sustained by the 

 Milk of Wild Beasts, like Romulus and Remus, our Founders, 

 by a She-Wolf, in my Opinion they are to be attributed more 

 to the Greatness of their Destinies than to the Nature of those 

 Wild Beasts. Panthers and Tigers are almost the only Beasts 

 seen with a Variety of Spots ; for other Beasts have each one 

 a proper Colour of their own, according to their Kind. A 

 black Kind of Lion is found in Syria only. The Ground of 

 the Panther's Skin is White, 1 with little black Spots like 



1 There seems much uncertainty and confusion in Pliny's description 

 of the Panther and Leopard, which, probably, he means by the terms 

 Panthera and Pardvs ; indeed, modern naturalists are not at all agreed as 

 to the best mode of distinguishing these animals. Cuvier considers the 

 v vK$K*. ts of the ancients to be the modern Panther (Felis Pardus. LINN.). 

 He does not notice the Panther, o vnvfa* of Aristotle, " Hist. Anim." vi. 35 ; 

 and, indeed, this animal is supposed by many not to be of the leopard 

 kind. Wcrn. Club. 



