728 MU, A. LOVERIDQE : NOTES ON 



male 4G2. 436. 82. 44 mm. and female 1092. 737. 229. 77 mm. 

 A larger male measured 1240. 660. 240. 73 mm., and female 1141. 

 659. 215. 76 mm. 



The latter, being also a comparatively young animal, had only 

 two fcetuses (Kilosa, 20. ix. 22), of which the male Aveighed 

 I pound and measured 217. 110. 42. 10 mm., tmd the female 

 206. 107. 39. 10 mm. The coloration and spotting most distinct 

 in front of ears, where hair was quite well developed, spotting (no 

 coloi-ation) distinct all round area between front and hind limbs, 

 both belly and back, also on tail. No spotting on fore-limbs, and 

 onlv on the outer basal portion of hind-limbs. 



At Kilosa the staple food of the leopards would appear to be 

 baboons. Mvs. Turnley was fortunate enough to see a leo[)anl 

 carry oil' a baboon at 3 p.m., only 200 yards from her house. 

 The baboons mobbed the leopard, which ma<le oft' towards the 

 hills. By day, however, the baboons are generally masters of the 

 situation. On one occasion, a native reported baboons mobbing 

 a leopard within a quarter-of-a-mileof the house, and on arriving 

 at the place I saw the leopard Avas 60 feet up a tree. I had two 

 shots but missed, the second striking the limb on which the 

 leopard Avas crouched among the foliage. 



Another time I had sent out two collectors in the morning, 

 when one returned reasonably excited to say that they had heaid 

 a great outcry of baboons on the opposite slope of a small rocky 

 ravine, and on going nearer to see what the upioar was about, 

 they saAV four old baboons surrounding a leopard and sticking at 

 it with their hands ; as surely as the leopard turned on one he 

 Avould be fiercely attacked bj' those behind, so that he Avas ver}' 

 much at a loss to know Avhat to do and sought refuge beneath a 

 bush. The one boy had remained to Avatch the proceedings 

 whilst the other brought the news. 



We hastened to the spot, Avhich Avas fully half-an-hour distant, 

 only to find that there Avas no boy or baboons there. My com- 

 panion Avas im;lined to think that they were lomancing, but 

 having come so far, he crossed the ravine or donga lower down 

 and Avent to the place Avhere the alleged light had taken place, 

 I remained on the near side. He called out that the spoor spoke 

 for the truth of the boy's statement, and easily traced the leopard 

 from the bush to the donga, on the edge of Avhich the baboons 

 had collected and torn up the turf in their fear, Avrath, and 

 excitement. My companion said it was obvious that the fight 

 had gone on, as the baboons Avould not have left the leopard in 

 the donga, but just to make sure, he ordered tiie boys to throAV in a 

 shower of stones. The next minute I called out something, and 

 there Avas an angry snarl in the bushes on the ei^ge of the donga, 

 not ten feet from me, and the grass SAvayed. The leopard, dis- 

 turbed by the noise on the far side and the shower of stones, had 

 been coming up when my calling out had turned it. We beat 

 doAvn the grass and found its spoor on the s]3ot Avhere the grass 

 had been set in motion. The donga Ave subjected to a A'ei-y 



