78 Anecdotal Natural History. 



are quite fallacious, a skin being capable of almost any 

 amount of extension by stretching. To be worth 

 anything, the measurements should be made before, 

 and not after the skin has been taken off. 



It is a curious fact that the mother does not seem 

 so careful for the welfare of her offspring as is usual 

 among animals, but, if she suspect danger, will often 

 send her cubs on first, in order to see whether the path 

 be clear. Experienced hunters, aware of this, refrain 

 from firing at the young, knowing that the mother is 

 behind, and will soon make her appearance. 



NEXT in order is the Leopard (Leopardus varius], 

 which is found both in Asia and Africa. It is by no 

 means as large and powerful as the tiger, but is even 

 more graceful in its movements. The colour of its 

 fur is a bright golden yellow, closely studded with 

 rosette-shaped dark spots. 



A few leopards have been occasionally found whose 

 fur was so dark as to earn them the title of Black 

 Leopards, which were for some time supposed to con- 

 stitute a separate species. However, it was found that 

 the dark spots were still dimly visible, and that, except 

 in point of colour, there were no particular differences 

 between these black leopards and the ordinary animal, 

 and that therefore they could only be considered as a 

 mere variety of the common species. 



To the leopard belongs a power which is not pos- 

 sessed by the lion and tiger namely, the ability to 

 climb trees. So quick and agile are its movements 

 among the branches that it is even able to chase and 

 capture the various tree-frequenting animals in their 

 native haunts. 



In some ways the leopard is even more dreaded 

 than its larger and more savage relatives, especially by 

 f e farmers, who suffer greatly from its depredations 



