464 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



He therefore makes the principal difference to consist in 

 size and colour. 



Pliny says further: " Quidam ab iis Pantheras solo 

 candore discernunt, nee adhuc aliam differentiam in- 

 veni." It is possible, however, if the F. Uncia be really 

 distinct, that Pliny refers to that species. Major Smith 

 believes him to be distinct, and describes him as whitish- 

 gray, faintly tinted with buff. " He may," says the Major, 

 " have been a Syrian and Armenian animal, and I believe 

 him now a resident of the mountains of Northern Persia." 

 We refer to our figure of the specimen formerly in the 

 Tower. It seems probable, that all those which come 

 from Asia are much brighter in colour than those from 

 Africa, and that the females in general have more white 

 about them than the other sex. Mr. Cross, who has had 

 opportunities of inspecting probably some hundreds of 

 specimens, insists, that he has never observed any specific 

 difference between those brought from Asia and Africa 

 among themselves, except that the Asiatic are generally 

 larger and brighter ; and except, also, that some individuals 

 constantly carry their long tail curved outwards, and others 

 inwards, the latter of which they call ring-tailed Leopards, 

 It seems probable, therefore, that Dr. Shaw's leading specific 

 distinctions of size and colour, apply rather to the Asiatic 

 and African varieties, than to distinct species found in both 

 those continents. The figures, however, in the General 

 Zoology, neither illustrate the author's position on this 

 subject, nor throw any light on the question ; for they are 

 merely copied from Buffon, and that which is called the 

 Panther is properly referable to the Jaguar. 



M. Lichtenstein, in a note communicated to Major Smith, 

 draws a specific distinction. He describes the Panther as 

 resembling the Jaguar in having the same number of rows 

 of spots, but differing in having no full spots on the dorsal 

 line. But it does not appear that full spots on the dorsal 



