1064 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXI. 



16-4-12 Female. 3 ft. 7 in. 2 ft. 7 in. 



19-4-12 Female. 3 ft. 4 in. 2 ft. 6 in. 



21-4-12 Female. 3 ft. 6 in. 2 ft. 5 in. 



f>3-4-12 Male. 4 ft. 2 in. 2 ft. 6 in. 



25-4-12 Female. 3 ft. 8 in. 2 ft. 6 in. 



Old and has had young. Bright 

 smooth coat ; ridged skull. 



Young ; has not borne young. 

 Dull, rough coat. No occipital 

 ridge. 



Young, as evident from teeth. 

 Thickly spotted, dark rough 

 fur. No occipital ridge. 



Old. Very smooth, bright, 

 shining coat. Ridged skull. 



Mature. Appears to have had 

 young. Pale colour, . coat 

 smooth. Ridged skull. 



15-5-12 Male. 4 ft. 6 in. 2 ft. 9 in. Very old. Dark colour, smooth 



coat. Ridged skull. This 

 panther had a peculiar mal- 

 formation of the tongue which 

 was split in two for about four 

 inches from the point. 



Note. — In determining whether these animals were young, immature or 

 ■old, I have not considered the presence or absence of occipital ridge, or 

 the smoothness or otherwise of the fur. But have judged from the 

 appearance of the teeth and sexual indications. It will be observed that 

 in old animals there is invariably a strongly developed occipital ridge, an 

 elongated appearance of the skull, and generally a bright, smooth coat. 

 In young animals there is no occipital ridge, and the skull is rounder, 

 Avhile the coat is generally rough and has less pigmentation. Males are, 

 of course, as in all the cats, much larger than females. These animals 

 were aU shot within a small area. They were all driven out singly, and 

 were therefore sufficiently mature to be living alone. The old and 

 Ihe young respectively present those features which have sometimes led 

 -to their being divided into two species. They are undoubtedly all of one 

 species, the features referred to being merely indications of age, such as 

 one would naturally expect and not peculiar to this species. 



In the Journal of 31st March, Captain Mosse reviews Mr. Hick's remarks 

 on panthers and pantherets (!) in his book '^'Forty years among the wild beasts 

 of India." I have already discussed this matter at length in another 

 publication {Pioneer, October 1910). The experience of many years leads 

 me to the conclusion, confirmed by recent observation, that the diflference, 

 between the two so-called species are generally, if not invariably, due to 

 age. Size is no criterion ; these, like other animals, vary in this respect, 

 and it is impossible to draw a dividing line. As for measurements I 

 doubt whether any female panther's head and body has measured as much 

 as five feet in length, and I have never seen a panther with a tail as short 

 as 2 feet ; much depends, moreover, on the system of measurement, 

 whether round the curves of the body, or in a straight line. Young 



