Hunting-Leopard 587 



vigorous attacks of farmers and flockmasters. It is found in North Africa, 

 but is apparently unknown in the tropical regions of Central Africa. 



H. A. Bryden. 



THE HUNTING-LEOPARD 



Genus Cyncelurus 



The hunting-leopard, or cheeta {Cyncelurus jubatus), differs from the cats 

 and lynxes by the imperfect retractibility of the claws, the extremities of 

 which always protrude from their protecting sheaths. The body, too, is 

 more slender, and the limbs are proportionately longer, in addition to 

 which there are also certain slight points of difference connected with the 

 skull and teeth. The African hunting-leopard seems to be only a local 

 race of the Indian species, from which it differs by the somewhat woolly 

 nature of its coat. It may be called C. jubatus lanius. 



Cheeta or African Hunting-Leopard {Cyncelurus jubatus lanius) 



Luipard of the Boers ; Ingulule of the Zulus ; Ihlose of the Swazis ; 



Sigakaka of the Basuto ; Lenau of Bechuanas 



This beautiful creature, though one of the Felida, ranks as a separate 



genus, owing to several marked peculiarities in its construction. The body 



and limbs are long and slender ; claws blunt and only partially retractile ; tail 



long and bushy ; skull short, with much elevated crown ; upper flesh-tooth 



without the inside cusp of the true cats ; pupils of the eyes round ; ears 



small and rounded. The fur is coarse, long and woolly on the under parts, and 



forming a distinct mane round the neck ; for this reason the cheeta is 



probably the animal to which the term "leopard" (spotted lion) was first 



applied. I have shot individuals in hill districts with longer and more 



woolly fur, and more bushy tails than is usual amongst those found at lower 



