PANTHER OF THE ANCIENTS. 115 



probably lived. Nothing was known of its native 

 country or of its manners ; but we introduce it here, 

 that our scientific readers may have the means of de- 

 tecting and investigating the external distinctions of 

 this and the two preceding animals. 



Major Smith describes the length of this panther as 

 five feet three inches from the nose to the root of the 

 tail, and the height as two feet nine inches at the 

 shoulder: it thus stands higher than the great jaguar; 

 but its form, from being more slender, assimilates to 

 that of the Felis Juhata, or hunting leopard, though it 

 is much larger in proportion. The head is smaller than 

 that of the jaguar ; thus agreeing with the usual charac- 

 ter of such species as belong to the Old World. The first 

 and great difference, however^ which distinguishes this 

 from ail its congeners, is the ground colour of the fur ; 

 the entire colour of the whole animal being buff yellow, 

 becoming darker, and approaching to red on the nose, 

 and to ochre on the back and sides : the belly and in- 

 sides of the limbs partake of this general colour, but 

 arc paler, there being no white part about the animal. 

 On the sides of the body are seven rows of imperfect 

 rings, the inner part of which are more fulvous than 

 the general ground colour of the fur where these spots 

 do not occur : the dorsal line is marked in the same man- 

 ner by open rings. These rings, or annuli, observes our 

 author, differ from those of the jaguar, to which they 

 otherwise bear a general resemblance, in being all nearly 

 circular ; whereas those of the American species becom.e 

 oblong as they approach the dorsal line : they are also 

 smaller when compared with the size of the animal, and 

 much more numerous, — covering not only the back, ribs, 

 and haunches, but descending on tlie outside of the 

 legs as far as the knees : the annuli, moreover, of the 

 jaguar have a spot in the centre, which these have not : 

 the tail of this is spotted from beginning to end — that 

 of the jaguar has open oblong marks some way down, 

 and is terminated by encircling annuli of black, yellow, 

 and white. To conclude, the forehead^ cheeks, sides 

 I 2 



