Next come the Leopards. Gen. LeopakdUs, Gray. These are more 

 or less spotted. Of moderate or large size, tail.long. 



105. Felis pardus. 



LiNNiEUS.— Blyth, Cat. 173, Synops. 4.-2^. leopardus, Sohek- 

 BER. — Leopardus varius, Gray. — The Panther and Leopard of the 

 English in India. 



The Pard. 



Beser. — Of a rufous-fawn color, more or less deep, with dark spots 

 grouped in rosettes ; tail more or less ringed. Varies greatly in size, from 

 six to eight feet, and upwards. 



It is stiU an undecided point among Zoologists, whether there are two 

 distinct species of leopard, or whether they are simply varieties of the same 

 species. Temminck in his monograph of the genus Felis, placed them 

 distinct, with the following characters : — F. leopardus. The leopard. Tail 

 as long as the body only ; fur Hght-ftilvous, the spots moderately distinct 

 from each other, as much as 18 hnes in diameter ; caudal vertebrae 22. 

 From Asia only. F. pardus. The panther. Smaller; tail as long as 

 the head and body ; fur deep yellow-fulvous, the spots closely approxi- 

 mate, not more than 14 lines in diameter ; caudal vertebrse 28. From 

 both Asia and Africa. Cuvier considered that F. pardus was found in 

 Africa and part of Asia ; whilst F. leopardus was confined to the regions 

 adjacent to the Straits of Sanda : and Sol. Miiller, reversing the names, 

 says that F. pardus is only found in Sumatra and Java, thus confirming 

 Cuvier's idea of one species being peculiar to these regions. Of late years 

 the two varieties have been classed under one specific name, and Mr, 

 Blyth has joined them in his Catalogue and Synopsis, which arrangement 

 I have also here followed. 



The prevalent idea, however, among sportsmen in India, is that there 

 are two distinct races or varieties, and taking Mr. Elliot's remarks as 

 the ground work, I shall briefly notice each, 



1st. The larger variety which (with most sportsmen) I shall here call 

 the Panther. F. pardus apud Hodgson. — Ff leopardus apud Temminck:— ^ 

 Leopard of Sykes. — Tendwa, H., throughout India. — Tenduwd of Bauris, 

 or cheeta catchers. — Chita, and CHta-Hg,-, p.Qpt{larly-^4i^«aro, Hjndi.in 



