98 FELID^. 



Central India. — Iloniga, Can. — Asned, Mahr. of Ghats. — Chinna puli, Tel. 

 — Burhdl of Gonds. — Bay-heera and Tahir hay in the Himalayas. — Sih, 

 Tibetan. 



The color of this large variety is generally pale fulvons-yellow, the 

 belly white ; whilst some are deeper and more tawny in hue, and others 

 without any white at all beneath. " As a general rule," says Walter 

 Elliot, " the fur of the Honiga is shorter and closer than that of the 

 small variety. The most strongly marked difference of character that 

 I observed was in the skulls. That of the Honiga being longer and more 

 pointed, with a ridge running along the occiput, and much developed for 

 the attachment of the muscles of the neck. If this character is universal 

 and permanent, it will afford a good ground of distinction." 



Mountaineer, in the Bengal Sporting Eeview, Vol. VIII,, says, " This 

 is a fine and handsome animal. It may be distinguished by its superior 

 size, and the different formation of the head, which is much longer than 

 that of the other ;'' thus hitting on the same distinctive mark as Mr. 

 Elliot. Horsfield, 1. c, says " that this is a taller, larger, slighter aumal 

 than the next one, with fewer and more broken spots." Mr. Elliot gives 

 the dimensions as, head and body 4| to 5 feet ; tail 2f to 3 feet. A fine 

 male, IdUed near Mhow in 1854, measured 4 feet 9 inches to root of tail, 

 which was 3 feet 2 inches ; total 7 feet 1 1 inches. 



My own experience has led me to conclude that this large variety is 

 seldom found in dense forest country, but in more open coimtry, where 

 low hills and deep ravines occur. Mr. Elliot says, " It is found chiefly 

 among the rocky hiUs to the eastwards. It is a taller, slighter, more 

 active animal, extremely strong and fierce. It is a veiy formidable 

 assailant, and several instances occurred of as many as four men having 

 been killed by one before it was, put, ' hors de combat.' " Mountaineer says, 

 " It generally keeps aloof from Tallages, wandering through the forests, 

 and glens of the remoter hills. It preys on all wild animals, wild pigs, 

 monkeys, &c., occasionally seizes on domestic cattle." Baker says, " that 

 in Ceylon (where it is called tiger) he has seen a full grown bull with his 

 neck broken by a leopard who attacked it, and that at Newera eUia they 

 destroy many cattle." Johnson, in his Field Sports of India, gives an 

 account of " a panther or leopard having leapt over a wall 7 feet high, 

 two or three nights in succession, and had killed and carried off a deer 

 each night:" he adds, "I rather think it was a panther, an animal larger 

 than the leopard." I have myself had ponies twice killed close to my 



